Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years by universal adult suffrage; with more than 400 million people eligible to vote, they are the second largest democratic elections in the world after India's.[1]
Until 2019, 751 MEPs[2] were elected to the European Parliament, which has been directly elected since 1979. Since the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU in 2020, the number of MEPs, including the president, has been 705.[3] No other EU institution is directly elected, with the Council of the European Union and the European Council being only indirectly legitimated through national elections.[4] While European political parties have the right to campaign EU-wide for the European elections,[5] campaigns still take place through national election campaigns, advertising national delegates from national parties.
The election days are 4 consecutive days, from Thursday to Sunday, between April 7th and July 10th.[6][7] The latest election took place in 2024 and the next election will take place in 2029.
- ^ "EU elections 2019: Country-by-country full results". Euronews. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ "Euro election country-by-country". BBC News. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
- ^ "Redistribution of seats in the European Parliament after Brexit". European Parliament. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ European Parliament: Welcome europarl.europa.eu
- ^ "European political parties". European Parliament.
- ^ 78/639/Euratom, ECSC, EEC: Council Decision of 25 July 1978 fixing the period for the first election of representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage
- ^ Consolidated text: Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage