How is the European Parliament composed?
Description
This article is from the European Union FAQ, by Roland Siebelink & Bart Schelfhout with numerous contributions by others.
How is the European Parliament composed?
DIRECT UNIVERSAL ELECTIONS
The European Parliament represents the peoples of the member states. It is
elected once every five years, through direct universe suffrage in every
member state.
The last general EP election was held on 9 and 12 June 1994. The next will
be in June 1999, although Austrians, Finns and Swedes have to elect MEPs
earlier because their countries had not joined the EU in 1994 yet. Up to
these elections, MEPs for these countries are appointed by national
parliaments. In Sweden these elections already took place. Hiski Haapoja[1]
mentions that for Finland, these elections will take place in October 1996
together with municipal county elections.
GENERAL COMPOSITION
There are currently 626 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs):
99 elected in Germany;
87 each in France, Italy, the UK;
64 in Spain;
31 in the Netherlands;
25 each in Belgium, Greece, Portugal;
22 in Sweden;
21 in Austria;
16 each in Denmark and Finland;
15 in the Republic of Ireland;
6 in Luxembourg.
MEPs don't usually vote by country of origin. Instead, they organize in
political groups according to ideology and/or party affiliation. The minimum
number of MEPs to form a political group is 29 if the members come from one
member state, 23 if they come from two, 18 if they come from three and 14 if
they come from four or more member states. No MEP can be a member of more
than one political group, but no MEP is under an obligation to be part of a
political group either (even though it does bring advantages in speaking
time and infrastructure).
Some MEPs call themselves associate (rather than +full;) members of a
political group; this reflects the fact that they are not bound by the
common manifesto/platform of the pan-European political party behind the
group, usually because their national party is not a member of this
pan-European political party. This difference is irrelevant as far as
internal Parliamentary procedures are concerned.
See the list of member states[2] in the first part of this FAQ for an
overview of ISO country abbreviations used below. Links have been added to
the official or unofficial home pages of some parties; please drop me a
line[3] if you know any I did not include.
PES/GROUP OF THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS
[LOGO PES]
Leader: Ms Pauline Green (Labour, UK)
217 members:
62 Labour (UK)[4]
40 Socialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (DE)[5]
22 Partido Socialista Obrero Espaqol[6] (ES)
16 Partido democratico della Sinistra (IT) [7]
15 Europe Solidaire (Parti Socialiste) (FR)
10 Partido Socialista (PT)[8]
10 Panellinio Socialistiko Kinima (GR) [9]
8 Partij van de Arbeid (NL) [10]
8 Sozialdemokratische Partei Vsterreichs (AT)[11]
7 Socialdemokratiska arbetarepartiet (SE)[12]
4 Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (FI)[13]
3 Parti Socialiste[14] (BE)
3 Socialdemokratiet (D[15]K)
3 Socialistische Partij (BE)[16]
2 LSAP - d'Sozialisten (LU)
2 Partito socialista italiano-Alleanza democratica
(IT)[17]
1 Labour Party (IE)[18]
1 Social Democratic and Labour Party (UK)
EPP/EUROPEAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHRISTIAN-DEMOCRATS)
Leader: Mr Wilfried Martens (Christelijke Volkspartij, BE)
172 members:
39 Christlich-Demokratische Union[19] (DE)
28 Partido Popular (ES)[20]
18 Conservative and Unionist Party (UK) [21]
13 Union pour la Dimocratie Frangaise/Rassemblement pour
la Ripublique* (FR)
10 Christendemocratisch Appel (NL) [22]
9 Nea Demokratia (GR) [23]
8 Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (DE)
8 Partito popolare italiano (IT)
6 Vsterreichische Volkspartei (AT)[24]
5 Moderata samlingspartiet (SE)[25]
4 Christelijke Volkspartij (BE) [26]
4 Fine Gael (IE)
4 Kansallinen Kokoomus (FI)[27]
3 Konservative Folkeparti (DK) [28]
3 Patto Segni (IT)
2 Chrkslich-Sozial Vollekspartei (LU)
2 Coalicisn Nacionalista (ES)
2 Parti Social-Chritien (BE)
1 Christlich Soziale Partei (BE)
1 Partido Social Democrata* (PT)
1 S|dtiroler Volkspartei (IT)
1 Ulster Unionist Party (UK) [29]
UE/UNION FOR EUROPE GROUP
The Union for Europe Group was formed in October 1995 as a grouping of two
formerly separate parliamentary groups: the Forza Europa group consisting of
the sole Forza Italia party and the traditional +Gaullist; Group of the
European Democratic Alliance. Through this merger, they replaced the Liberal
group (ELDR[30], cf. infra) as the third biggest group in the European
Parliament.
Leader: Mr. Jean-Claude Pasty (Rassemblement pour la Ripublique, FR)
55 members:
29 Forza Italia (IT)[31]
14 Union pour la Dimocratie Frangaise/Rassemblement pour
la Ripublique* (FR)
7 Fianna Fail[32] (IE)
3 Centro Democratico Social/Partido Popular (PT)
2 Politiki Anixi (GR) [33]
ELDR/GROUP OF THE EUROPEAN LIBERAL, DEMOCRATIC AND REFORMIST PARTY
Leader: Mr Gijs de Vries (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie, NL)
52 members:
8 Partido Social Democrata* (PT)
5 Lega Nord (IT)
6 Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (NL) [34]
4 Democraten '66 (NL) [35]
4 Suomen Keskusta (FI)
4 Venstre[36] (DK)
3 Parti Riformateur Libiral/Front Dimocratique des
Francophones (BE)
3 Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (BE) [37]
2 Centerpartiet (SE)[38]
2 Convergencia y Unio* (ES)
2 Liberal Democrats (UK) [39]
2 Svenska Folkpartiet (FI)
1 Demokratesch Partei (LU)
1 Folkpartiet liberalerna (SE)[40]
1 Independents (IE)
1 Liberales Forum (AT)[41]
1 Partito reppublicano italiano (IT)
1 Radikale Venstre (DK)
1 Union pour la Dimocratie Frangaise/Rassemblement pour
la Ripublique* (FR)
GUE/CONFEDERAL GROUP OF THE UNITED LEFT - NORTHERN GREEN LEFT
Leader: Mr Alfonso Puerta Gutierrez (Izquierda Unida - Iniciativa per
Catalunya, ES)
33 members:
9 Izquierda Unida (ES)
7 Parti Communiste (FR)
5 Rifondazione comunista (IT)
3 Vdnsterpartiet (SE)[42]
3 Coligagao Democratica Unitaria (PT)
2 Kommounistiko Komma Elladas (GR) [43]
2 Synaspismos tis Aristeras kai tis Proodou (GR) [44]
1 Socialistisk Folkeparti (DK) [45]
1 Vasemmistoliitto (FI)
GRN/GREEN GROUP IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT[46]
Leaders: Ms Claudia Roth (Die Gr|nen, DE) & Mr Alexander Langer
(Federazione dei Verdi, IT)
28 members:
12 B|ndnis 90/Die Gr|nen (DE) [47]
4 Miljvpartiet de grvna (SE)[48]
3 Federazione dei Verdi (IT)
2 Green Party[49] (IE)
1 Agalev (BE) [50]
1 Dii Gring GLEI-GAP (LU)
1 Ecolo (BE)
1 Groen Links (NL) [51]
1 Gr|ne - Die Gr|ne Alternative (AT)[52]
1 La Rete-Movimento democratico (IT)
1 Vihred Liitto (FI)[53]
ERA/GROUP OF THE EUROPEAN RADICAL ALLIANCE
Leader: Ms Cathirine Lalumihre (Energie Radicale, FR)
19 members:
13 Energie Radicale (FR)
2 Panella-Riformatori[54] (IT)
2 Scottish National Party (UK)[55]
1 Convergencia y Unio* (ES)
1 Volksunie/Vlaamse Vrije Democraten (BE)
EN/EUROPE OF NATIONS GROUP
Leader: Mr Jimmy Goldsmith (Majoriti pour l'autre Europe, FR)
19 members:
13 Majoriti pour l'autre Europe (FR)
2 Folkebevfgelsen mod EF (DK)
2 Junibevfgelsen (DK)
2 Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij[56]/ Gereformeerd
Politiek Verbond[57]/ Reformatorisch-Politieke
Federatie[58] (NL)
NI/NON-ATTACHED MEMBERS
10 Alleanza nazionale (IT)
11 Front National (FR)
5 Freiheitliche Partei Vsterreichs/Die Freiheitlichen
(AT)
2 Vlaams Blok (BE)
1 Democratic Unionist Party (UK)
1 Front National (BE)
1 Partito socialista democratico italiano (IT) [59]
The long list above is represented more concisely in the following table:
PES EPP UE ELDR GUE GRN ERA EN NI TOT
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