A new European Parliament is being elected in Europe. Voting starts today and will take place by Sunday 9 June in all 27 EU countries.
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The first country where voting began in the elections of deputies of the EP of the new convocation is the Netherlands.
There are about 370 million voters in the EU. Their votes will determine the 720 deputies who will sit in the European Parliament for the next five years. The number of mandates for each country is determined by its population.
According to polls, the position of right-wing forces is expected to strengthen. Eurosceptics, as well as more moderate national conservatives, can claim about a quarter of the seats – more than in the current convocation.
However, it is predicted that the center-right, the European People’s Party, will take first place in the elections. She nominated the current head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for a second term.
In general, the majority of these political forces support Ukraine and advocate a tough policy towards Russia. This position is shared by the majority of the right, but there are also those who are against it. Other important topics include migration, climate change policies, economic issues such as energy prices, etc.
The main intrigues of the elections are the division of seats between representatives of pro-European parties and right-wing populists, as well as the impact of the elections to the European Union on support for Ukraine. This encourages Ukrainians to treat what is happening in Europe as their own business. Soon we will negotiate accession, and then work in the same European Parliament.
What is known about the European Parliament
The UN is a platform for debate and decision-making without a classical coalition and legislative initiative. MEPs, together with the EU Council, vote on documents prepared by the European Commission. They can make amendments or certain changes to laws.
The European Parliament approves and controls the annual budget of the EU, and has the final say in approving laws binding on all countries of the bloc. The EP approves the EU government – the European Commission and its president.
Although the European Parliament was founded in 1958, the first general elections took place in 1979 and have been held every five years since then. It is noteworthy that the turnout for them was constantly decreasing and only increased slightly in 2019.
Elections to the EP are the second largest in the world after India. And the number of the European Parliament itself is amazing: more than 700 deputies. Each of the 28 member states is assigned a certain number of deputies depending on the size of the population. This year, Europeans will elect 720 MEPs. In 2019 there were 751, but after the UK exited there were 705.
The largest representation is among the Germans (96 MEPs), France (79), Italy (76), Spain (59), Poland (52), Romania (33) and the Netherlands (29). Cyprus, Estonia, Luxembourg and Malta have the least 6 representatives each in the European Parliament.
UN deputies live in three cities. The administration is located in Luxembourg, plenary sessions are held in Strasbourg (France), and committee meetings and main meetings are held in Brussels (Belgium). EH is often criticized for these expensive moves.
Deputies are elected according to a proportional system, and representatives from parties of different states are united into party groups.
There is no single electoral system. They are conducted in accordance with national electoral laws. There are also differences in the minimum age for the right to vote: most allow 18 years of age to elect MEPs, but some countries allow 16-year-olds to vote – Belgium, Austria, Greece, Malta, Germany.
The trend is to the right. This is a danger for Ukraine
The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) estimates that after the June elections there could be “a significant shift to the right in many countries, with right-wing populist and radical right parties gaining votes across the EU and center-left and green parties losing them.”
The far-right and the Identity and Democracy faction may receive, according to various forecasts, 86-88 mandates. This could take them to third place in the UN.
In the run-up to the vote, European media are increasingly writing about the supposed alliance of European conservatives and reformists (“soft Eurosceptics”) and “Identity and Democracy.” The European Policy Center predicts that “nationalist, right-wing legislators” will get a quarter of the seats in the new European Parliament.
Nathalie Tocci, director of the Rome Institute of International Relations, explained in a comment to DW that right-wing nationalist parties are more inclined to pay attention to domestic politics, “to cherish, openly or covertly, pro-Kremlin sympathies and be less interested in Ukraine’s struggle for freedom and democracy.”
Moreover, these politicians are not very keen to seek compromises within the EU itself, which hinders the bloc’s ability to make decisions on key issues – sanctions, defense or enlargement. That is why the high results of these parties in the June elections pose serious risks for Ukraine.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.