BRIEFING October 2019 European Parliament: Facts and Figures This Briefing, published by the European Parliamentary Research Service, is designed to provide key facts and figures about the European Parliament, both in the 2019 to 2024 parliamentary term now starting - and in the eight previous terms since direct elections were introduced in June 1979. On the following pages you will find graphics of various kinds which: • detail the composition of the European Parliament now and in the past; • trace the increase in the number of parties represented in the EP and evolution of political groups; • chart the rise in the number of women sitting in the Parliament; • explain the electoral systems used in the 2019 elections to the Parliament across the Member States; • show how turnout in European elections compares with that in national elections; • summarise the activity of the Parliament in the current and previous five-year terms; • outline the composition of the Parliament’s committees and governing bodies. The Briefing will be updated regularly over the coming term to take account of latest developments. European Parliament, 2019-24 Size of the political groups Proportion of Members in each political group Number of MEPs in each political group as of Share by political group of the total 748 Members in the 1 October 2019. Parliament. Renew Europe: 14.4% EPP: 24.3% 182 154 108 Greens/EFA: 9.9% 74 73 62 54 41 ECR: 8.3% 748 EPP S&D Renew Greens/ ID ECR GUE/ NI S&D: 20.6% MEPs * Europe EFA NGL ID: 9.8% 748 GUE/NGL: 5.5% NI: 7.2% MEPs Note: The Spanish authorities have not yet notied the Parliament of the Members elected to three seats; therefore the total does not reach the 751 provid- ed for in EU law. The seven political groups in the current Parliament, in order of size, are: • Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP), • Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D), • Renew Europe Group, • Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), • Identity and Democracy Group (ID), • European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), • Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL). In addition, some MEPs sit as non-attached Members (Non-inscrits – NI). EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Author: Giulio Sabbati Members’ Research Service PE 640.146 EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Size of political groups in the EP by Member State (as of 1 October 2019) EPP S&D ECR Greens/EFA ID ECR GUE/NGL NI_OTHER Renew Greens/ GUE/ EPP S&D Europe EFA ID ECR NGL NI Total DE DE29 DE16 DE7 25DE DE11 DE1 DE6 DE1 96 Germany (DE) FR FR8 FR5 21FR 12FR 22FR FR FR6 FR 74 France (FR) IT IT7 19IT IT IT 28IT IT5 IT 14IT 73 Italy (IT) UK UK UK10 UK17 UK11 UK UK4 UK1 30UK 73 United Kingdom (UK) ES 12ES 20ES ES8 ES2 ES ES3 ES6 ES * 51 Spain (ES) PL 17PL PL8 PL PL PL 26PL PL PL 51 Poland (PL) RO RO14 RO10 RO8 RO RO RO RO RO 32 Romania (RO) NL NL6 NL6 NL6 NL3 NL NL4 NL1 NL 26 Netherlands (NL) BE BE4 BE3 BE4 BE3 BE3 BE3 BE1 BE 21 Belgium (BE) CZ CZ5 CZ CZ6 CZ3 CZ2 CZ4 CZ1 CZ 21 Czech Republic (CZ) EL EL8 EL2 EL EL EL EL1 EL6 EL4 21 Greece (GR) HU HU13 HU5 HU2 HU HU HU HU HU1 21 Hungary (HU) PT PT7 PT9 PT PT1 PT PT PT4 PT 21 Portugal (PT) SE SE6 SE5 SE3 SE2 SE SE3 SE1 SE 20 Sweden (SE) AT AT7 AT5 AT1 AT2 AT3 AT AT AT 18 Austria (AT) BG BG7 BG5 BG3 BG BG BG2 BG BG 17 Bulgaria (BG) DK DK1 DK3 DK5 DK2 DK1 DK DK1 DK 13 Denmark (DK) SK SK4 SK3 SK2 SK SK SK2 SK SK2 13 Slovakia (SK) FI FI3 FI2 FI3 FI2 FI2 FI FI1 FI 13 Finland (FI) IE IE4 IE IE1 IE2 IE IE IE4 IE 11 Ireland (IE) HR HR4 HR3 HR1 HR HR HR1 HR HR2 11 Croatia (HR) LT LT4 LT2 LT2 LT2 LT LT1 LT LT 11 Lithuania (LT) LV LV2 LV2 LV1 LV1 LV LV2 LV LV 8 Latvia (LV) SI SI4 SI2 SI2 SI SI SI SI SI 8 Slovenia (SL) EE EE EE2 EE3 EE EE1 EE EE EE 6 Estonia (EE) CY CY2 CY2 CY CY CY CY CY2 CY 6 Cyprus (CY) LU LU2 LU1 LU2 LU1 LU LU LU LU 6 Luxembourg (LU) MT MT2 MT4 MT MT MT MT MT MT 6 Malta (MT) EU 011820203040 011540203040 108010203040 74010203040 01730203040 01620203040 41010203040 54010203040 748 EU Renew Greens/ GUE/ EPP S&D Europe EFA ID ECR NGL NI Total 24.3% 20.6% 14.4% 9.9% 9.8% 8.3% 5.5% 7.2% 100% * ES: The Spanish authorities have not yet notified Parliament of the Members elected to three seats, therefore the total does not reach the 751 provided for in EU law. Data supplied by Members’ Administration Unit, DG Presidency, European Parliament Country codes and flags: Belgium (BE) Bulgaria (BG) Czechia (CZ) Denmark (DK) Germany (DE) Estonia (EE) Ireland (IE) Greece (EL) Spain (ES) France (FR) Croatia (HR) Italy (IT) Cyprus (CY) Latvia (LV) Lithuania (LT) Luxembourg (LU) Hungary (HU) Malta (MT) Netherlands (NL) Austria (AT) Poland (PL) Portugal (PT) Romania (RO) Slovenia (SI) Slovakia (SK) Finland (FI) Sweden (SE) United Kingdom (UK) 2 European Parliament: Facts and Figures New and re-elected MEPs in 2019 New MEPs are defined as those who have never sat in the 437 295 16 European Parliament before. They represent 58% of the 58.4% 39.4% 2.1% total. The percentage varies between 85% in Slovakia - New MEPs Re-elected MEPs where 11 of 13 MEPs are new - and 33% in Malta (2 of New MEPs who have never sat in the European Parliament. 6). Among the political groups, a new group, Identity Re-elected MEPs who were in the EP during at least the and Democracy (ID), has the highest percentage of new previous term (2014-19). MEPs, with 59 new MEPs out of 73. Re-elected MEPs who were in the EP during a previous term, but not during the 2014-19 term. Share of new MEPs by Member State Share of new MEPs by political group % % 85 Greens/ Renew GUE/ 80 % % % ID EFA Europe NGL ECR S&D EPP NI % 69 69 % 67% 67% % 66 % % 64% % % % % 61% 59 % % % % 58 57% 56 55 55 52 52 52 52 50 50 50 50 47% % % 46% 44% % 38 38 33 81% 69% 69% 59% 58% 51% 41% 72% FI SI IE IT LT EL EE ES SE LV PL FR PT BE SK CY NL LU CZ DE AT HR EU UK DK RO BG HU MT Over the 2014-19 term, a total of 112 MEPs were replaced for different reasons. Forty-one MEPs resigned, seven died, and 60 were appointed to an office incompatible with membership of the European Parliament – for instance, they became members of their national parliaments or governments. Age of MEPs The graphs below and to the right show the average Lowest Average Highest age of MEPs, together with their highest and lowest MT 29 44 71 ages, both collectively and by Member State. The SE 32 45 58 average age of MEPs is 50 years; national averages BG 31 46 67 vary between 44 and 60. The youngest MEP is from HU 30 46 66 Denmark (21 years old) and the oldest is from Italy CZ 26 46 66 (82 years old). NL 29 46 66 DK 21 47 74 21 50 82 AT 27 47 61 HR 29 48 62 Lowest Average Highest EE 28 48 62 SK 34 49 65 PT 28 49 67 Age distribution of MEPs DE 26 49 78 RO 33 49 67 The graph below represents the age distribution IT 30 49 82 of the MEPs. It shows, for instance, that 215 MEPs FR 23 50 72 are aged between 41 and 50 years. The mode - the SI 30 50 60 most common value - is 56 years and the median - ES 25 50 75 the middle value - is, like the average, 50 years. The EL 26 51 majority of MEPs are aged between 41 and 60 years 67 old. BE 34 52 68 LU 35 52 67 UK 28 53 77 215 227 IE 32 54 69 CY 50 55 59 132 126 FI 40 55 74 PL 34 56 79 29 18 1 LV 43 57 69 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 LT 54 60 65 3 EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service European Parliament, 1979-2019 Strengths of the political groups in each parliamentary term The relative size of the political groups in the European Parliament is shown for each of the nine parliamentary terms since the first direct elections in 1979. The data, in percentages of total seats, refer to the constituent session (in July) at the beginning of each parliamentary term. 1,0 1,0 1,0 1,0 100% 2.4% 1.6% 2.3% 1.4% 100% 2.7% 3.7% 2.7% 4.8% 2.9% 4.0% 3.7% 6.9% 7.2% 0,9 5.4%0,9 4.6% 3.3% 3.4% 4.8% 3.7% 4.8% 0,9 0,9 NA 0,9 NI 0,9 NI 2.5% 3.4% 6.7% 5.6% 6.9% 5.5% 6.7% 3.9% 4.8% 7.3% 10.7% 2.6% 5.1% 8.3% 0,8 0,8 5.4% 4.6% 4.3% 9.3% 0,8 0,8 0,8 0,8 9.4% 5.7% 6.6% 4.9% 7.7% 7.5% TDI GUE/NGL ENL 6.4% 9.8% 0,7 15.4% 0,7 4.1% 0,7 0,7 0,7 0,7 11.5% 5.8% 8.0% 12.0% 7.8% 11.4% 6.7% 0,6 0,6 9.5% 0,6 0,6 9.9% UEN0,6 ECR 0,6 EFDD 9.8% 7.1% 8.9% 0,5 0,5 28.8% 0,5 0,5 14.4% 0,5 0,5 50% 27.3% 25.0% 50% EDN->I-EDNID Verts/ALE 34.9% 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4 0,4 27.3% 30.0% 34.7% 25.4% 20.6% 0,3 0,3 0,3 0,3 ARE0,3 Greens/EFA 0,3 GUE/NGL 0,2 0,2 0,2 0,2 0,2 0,2 37.2% 36.6% 36.0% FE Renew Europe ADLE 29.4% 0,1 26.3% 0,1 25.3% 23.4% 27.5% 0,1 0,1 24.3% 0,1 0,1 0,0 0,0 CG 0% 0,0 0,00% 0,0 S&D 0,0 ECR 1979-84 1984-89 1989-94 1994-99 1999-2004 2004-09 2009-14 2014-19 01.07.2019 1979-1984 1984-19891979-19841989-19941984-19891994-19991989-19941999-20041994-19992004-20091999-20042009-20142004-2002014-20199 2009-2014 2019-2021979-19844 1984-1989 1989-1994 1994-1999 1999-2004 2004-2009 2009-2014 2016 DR EPP S&D EPP S&D Renew Europe Greens/EFA ID ECR GUE/NGL NI Others Source: DG Communication, European Parliament ARC PPE The colours used to denote political groups in the current parliamentary term are also used retrospectively for previous terms, so that the history of today’s groups can be traced back.