What happens in the weeks after the elections
During the weeks after the elections, the newly-elected MEPs form political groups according to shared political beliefs. Each group in Parliament must have at least 23 MEPs from seven EU countries.
The European political parties that take part in the elections may choose to have their own political group in Parliament or form a joint group with representatives of other parties.
Groups hold meetings to decide on their composition before the first new plenary which starts on 16 July.
Forming the new Parliament
During this first plenary session, MEPs will elect their new President, vice-presidents and quaestors, as well as decide on the number of MEPs that will be sitting in each parliamentary committee.
After the constitutive plenary, the committees will then hold their first meetings to elect their respective chairs and vice-chairs.
When does the European Parliament resume work?
The new legislative term will officially start on 16 July, the first day of the new Parliament’s first plenary session.
Parliament’s main tasks are to adopt legislation, decide on the EU budget and hold other EU bodies to account.
The new Parliament will have to decide on what to do with files that weren’t finalised before the elections. These files include amongst others combatting corruption, AI liability, combatting sexual abuse of children, animal transport and the welfare of cats and dogs.
The Commission will start proposing new legislative files once it is in place.
Composition of the European Commission
After MEPs elect the new Parliament President and take some other decisions regarding the organisation of their work, they can turn to the election of the new President of the European Commission. The candidate is nominated by the leaders of the EU countries.
At their summit on 27 June 2024, the leaders of EU countries proposed Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President for a second term.
Parliament elects the President of the Commission, by absolute majority, via secret ballot.The vote may take place during the plenary of 16-19 July. If the candidate does not obtain the required majority, the leaders of the EU will need to propose a new candidate within a month and Parliament will vote on the new candidate.
The newly appointed Commission President and EU countries will subsequently propose candidates for new Commissioners. Parliament will organise hearings of the Commissioner-designate so that MEPs from the relevant parliament committees can assess the suitability of candidates for their proposed portfolios
The process in Parliament will finish with a plenary vote, expected in the autumn, where MEPs will have to decide whether to approve the composition of the Commission as a whole.
European Council
The new President of the European Council is elected by its members, the heads of state or government of the EU countries, by qualified majority. António Costa was elected as President of the European Council on 27 June 2024. He should take office on 1 December.