European elections 20246-9 June 2024

How European elections work

Every five years, European Union citizens elect Members of the European Parliament.

In European elections, citizens of European Union countries elect their representatives as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
The European Parliament is the world’s only directly elected transnational assembly. The Members of the European Parliament represent the interests of EU citizens at the European level.

How the European Parliament works
What is the European Parliament?
It’s the only EU body directly elected by the people!
Every 5 years, voters choose over 700 members - or MEPs - to represent nearly 450 million Europeans.
MEPs work on your behalf, debating, shaping and passing laws on issues central to our daily lives.
Parliament defends freedom, equality and the rule of law across the EU and promotes democracy and human rights around the world.
It elects the president of the European Commission and makes sure EU institutions are doing their job properly.
MEPs decide how the EU’s money is spent and sign off on the EU budget.
The European Parliament is your link to the decisions that matter!
Democracy in action
European Parliament
Together with representatives of the governments of EU countries, MEPs shape and decide on new laws that influence all aspects of lives across the European Union, from supporting the economy and the fight against poverty to climate change and security.

MEPs put important political, economic and social topics in the spotlight and uphold the values of the European Union: respect for human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law.

Parliament approves the EU budget and scrutinises how the money is spent. It also elects the President of the European Commission, appoints its Commissioners and holds them to account.
European elections are held every five years. The last European elections took place in May 2019.
The next European elections will be held on 6-9 June 2024.
It is up to each country to manage the election, but there are some common principles they must apply.
- Elections take place during a four-day period, from Thursday to Sunday.
- The number of MEPs elected from a political party is proportional to the number of votes it receives.
- EU citizens resident in another EU country can vote and stand for election there.
- Each citizen can vote only once.
Read more about the common and national rules. Dedicated pages with more information about the European elections in your country will be available soon.
The number of MEPs is decided before each election. The total number cannot exceed 750 plus the president. There are currently 705 MEPs.
The number of MEPs elected from each EU country is agreed before each election and is based on the principle of degressive proportionality, which means each MEP from a larger country represents more people than an MEP from a smaller country. The minimum number of MEPs from any country is six and the maximum number is 96.
Elections are contested by national political parties but once MEPs are elected, most opt to become part of transnational political groups. Most national parties are affiliated to a European-wide political party.
MEPs sit in political groups based on shared ideals. Each group has a minimum of 23 MEPs from at least a quarter of EU countries. There are seven groups in the current Parliament.
The election results will be reported live on the European Parliament's website.
The elected MEPs work to form political groups. At its first plenary session where all MEPs meet, the new Parliament elects a President. In a subsequent session, Parliament will elect the new President of the European Commission and later will examine and approve the entire College of Commissioners.
The European Commission is the EU’s executive branch, responsible for proposing and implementing EU law and the day-to-day running of the EU. The European Parliament, representing the interests of EU citizens, and the Council, representing the interests of the countries, shape Commission proposals and, if they agree on them, adopt them.
Read more about the EU and its institutions.

Contact Europe Direct

For any further questions about the European elections please contact the European Union

Call from inside the EU: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (free phone)

Call from outside the EU: 0032 2 299 96 96 (standard international rate)

How European elections work

What are European elections? How are MEPs elected?

What is the European Parliament?

What powers does the European Parliament have?

How often are European elections held?

When are the next European elections?

What European election rules are common in all EU countries?

How many MEPs are elected?

How many MEPs does each country elect?

Do we vote for national parties or European parties?

What are the political groups in the European Parliament?

Where will I find the results of the 2024 European elections?

What happens immediately after the election?

What is the difference between the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission?