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European Parliamentry elections - Coggle Diagram
European Parliamentry elections
What does the EU Parliament do
The European Parliament has three key roles [
2
]:
Legislative
It is one of three bodies involved in the passing of EU laws.
For anything to become EU law it must be passed by the Council of the EU and the Parliament.
Legislation must also be signed by the Parliament's presidents [
4
].
They also have voting powers on international agreements.
It doesn't have the power to start legislation, but can request that the Commission introduce a piece of legislation [
1
].
Oversight
They offer the only means of democratic scrunity of EU institutions.
This includes oversight of the Council of Europe and Commission which they can make answer questions.
They are required to elect the European Commission (the executive branch) and have the power to remove the Commission as well (however, they have never removed the Commission [
4
]).
Budgetry
The EU Parliament is required to pass the both the short term EU budget and agree long term economic planning.
Structure
Parliament is chared by the Parliaments president (who also represents the Parliament in other EU institutions) and 14 vice presidents [
3
].
Members are split into groups as well as being within a political party, they may also sit as independents, but this is rare [
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].
What are the likely results
Polling has shown a steady growth in support for the EPP since April 2022 with them growing from polling around 160 seats to 175 seats (an admitedly small increase) meanwhile the S&D have dropped 157 to 140 (although this includes the expolsion of Slovak MEPs) [
10
].
Meanwhile the liberal Renew Europe group (the EU's liberal faction) has also seen a decline in their polls dropping from 96 in April to 82 now [
10
]. There have been moves within this grouping, led by Macron (Europe's preeminent integrationist), to further unite liberal forces within the EU under the New Europeans banner. This is currently an association of liberal parties with Renew Europe, but could be the first step in created a united, European liberal party [
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].
Meanwhile as the established political groupings flounder (with them either loosing voters or gaining very few), there is a rise in the power and expected seats of the right and far right political parties [
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].
Although by their nature these political groupings (Democracy and Identiy and the Europeans Conservatives and Reformists) are to, varying degrees, disunited groups some within them see this election as an opportunity. An AFD MEP has talked about the breaking of the Cordon Sanitire around the right (this being the idea of non-cooperation with far right parties) [
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].
This is liekly truw with Politico's Poll of Polls estimating the two right wing groupings winning a combined 164 seats, making a united right wing bloc nearly the biggest grouping within the parliament [
10
].
What is the European Parliament
The elected and legislative body of the EU, comprised of 705 members (currently) [
1
].
Make up of the European Parliament
All countries have at least 6 and at most 96 representives each [
2
] with three countries (Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus) having 6 and only Germany having 96 [
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].
There are currently 7 major groups within the EU parliament: The European Peoples Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of European Socialists (S&D) and Democrats in the European Parliament, Renew Europe Group, Greens/European Free Alliance, European Conservatives and Reformitsts, Identity and Democracy, The Left Group in the European Parliament [
6
].
The largest of these is the EPP who currently have 176 members and S&D are seccond palce with 144 member [
7
] with these parties reprsenting the major left and right groups.
The EPP are the largest centre right political body within the EU with a relativly typical platform for right wing parties in Europe focusing on illegal migration, law and order and economic growth, but also with support for talking climate change (with them proponents of the EU's Green New Deal) and cross-Atlantic cooperation [
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].
The S&D are the blocs main centre-left grouping with them taking some typical stances, again, for centre-left parties with Europe. They also stand in support to the Green New Deal, expansion of women's and workers rights and combatting the housing crisis. They also support policies of closer EU intergration with them endorsing 'strategic autonomy' and the creation of a health union [
9
].
No political ideology (e.g. socialists, liberals, greens etc) hold a majority within the parliament. [
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