Hochrechnung Europawahl - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. The European Parliament is the directly elected legislative body of the European Union and is responsible for representing the interests of EU citizens. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected every five years.
- 2. The European Parliament elections take place in all EU member states, with each country allocated a certain number of seats based on its population size. The most populous countries, such as Germany, France, and Italy, have the largest number of seats.
- 3. In the 2019 European Parliament elections, a total of 751 MEPs were elected, with each country having a different number of seats based on its population size. The UK, which has now left the EU, had 73 MEPs.
- 4. The results of the European Parliament elections are determined by proportional representation, meaning that the number of seats a political party wins is directly proportional to the number of votes it receives.
- 5. In the 2019 European Parliament elections, the center-right European People's Party (EPP) and the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) were the two largest political groups, holding 180 and 152 seats respectively.
- 6. Other political groups in the European Parliament include the Renew Europe group (formerly ALDE), the Greens/European Free Alliance, the European Conservatives and Reformists, and the European United Left-Nordic Green Left.
- 7. The European Parliament elections are often seen as an important test of public opinion on various issues, including immigration, the economy, and the environment. They can also influence the direction of EU policy and decision-making.
- 8. Voter turnout in European Parliament elections has historically been lower than in national elections, with the average turnout across the EU being around 42% in 2019. However, turnout varies significantly between countries, with some countries having much higher levels of voter participation.
- 9. In the 2019 European Parliament elections, there were concerns about the rise of populist and nationalist parties, as well as the impact of Brexit on the composition of the Parliament. However, the overall balance of power between the different political groups remained largely unchanged.
- 10. The next European Parliament elections are scheduled to take place in 2024. It will be interesting to see how the political landscape in Europe evolves in the coming years and how this will be reflected in the composition of the European Parliament.