European Parliament political groups now have a month to form alliances

Political groups in the European Parliament must now, based on the results of the European elections, form backbenches and create alliances. This work will begin on Tuesday and will last until the first plenary meeting in mid-July.

“The pro-European constructive forces remain in the majority compared to the previous legislature, although the recently elected European Parliament is slightly more plural,” and, bringing together the European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the Liberals of a Renewing Europe, “it the majority is more than 400 seats,” said this Monday the representative of the European Assembly, Jaume Duh.

In an explanation to journalists in Brussels a day after the end of voting in the European elections, which took place from Thursday to Sunday, and after the election night in the half-cycle, the official noted that “groups still have to be formed in the coming weeks, until the first day of the next legislative assembly, July 16 “

That work will begin on Tuesday morning at a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, which brings together leaders of political groups and European Assembly President Roberta Metsola, he added.

On this occasion, members of the Conference of Presidents “will sum up the results of the elections and hold a first exchange of views on various issues, including possibly the election of the President of the European Commission,” Jaume Duch said.

The EPP won European Parliament elections in the 27 European Union (EU) countries, winning 185 MEPs, 48 ​​more than the S&D Socialists.

S&D (which includes PS) has 137 elected officials, according to the latest update of preliminary results.

The Liberals of the Renew Europe party (which IL will unite with two elected representatives) won 80 seats in the semi-circle, seven more than the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), with 73 MEPs.

Together, the centre-right, socialists and liberals win 402 seats, exceeding the required 361 (half the MEPs plus one) for an absolute and stable parliamentary majority.

However, according to preliminary results, the far-right Identity and Democracy party (ID, of which Chega will be a member with two MEPs) managed to elect 58 representatives, and the Greens 52.

The left in the EP recruited 36 MEPs (including those elected from the BE and the CDU, one each).

Preliminary results show that there are 46 unregistered MEPs, 36 of whom are in and tend to be on the left, and 53 on the right.

Member states will have to inform the European Parliament of their MEPs to check for incompatibility, after which political groups can be formed at any time, with names required to be communicated to the President of the European Assembly by 15 July.

Political groups must consist of at least 23 MEPs elected in at least a quarter of the member states.

Founding meetings of the political groups will take place over the next few days, starting with the PES (June 18), followed by the Greens (June 19), Social Democratic Party (June 25), European Left (June 25), Renewal. Europe (June 26), ECR (June 26) and ID (July 3).

The work of the new legislature officially begins on July 16 with the first constituent plenary session in the French city of Strasbourg, which will last until July 19, when the 14 vice-presidents of the new European Parliament, five quaestors and parliamentary committees will be elected.

At the same time, the name of the new President of the European Commission can be determined, since the proposal comes from the European Council, and the Parliament must give approval by an absolute majority (361 parliamentarians in favor). If this does not happen, the vote will be moved to September.

A new plenary meeting will be held in the fall to vote on a new group of commissioners based on names proposed by countries whose hearings will be held in September.