The 2024 European Parliament election concluded on Sunday, marking a significant shift in the political landscape across the 27 European Union member states. Voters selected 720 members of parliament, representing a population of more than 450 million people. The election, which took place from June 6 to June 9, was the first such vote since the United Kingdom departed from the European Union.
While the European People’s Party, under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen, secured the largest number of seats, the overall outcome presents a more complex picture. The victory positions von der Leyen favorably to retain her role as head of the European Commission, but the result also signals a notable realignment within the parliament.
Pro-European Union centrist, liberal, social democrat, and environmentalist parties experienced substantial losses. These groups have historically formed the core of support for European integration. Their decline contrasts with gains made by anti-EU right-wing populist parties. The European Conservatives and Reformists group surpassed the centrist Renew Europe group to claim the fourth-most seats. Meanwhile, Patriots for Europe, which succeeded the Identity and Democracy group, secured the third-most seats. This shift represents a structural change in the parliament’s composition rather than a temporary fluctuation.
The election’s implications are concrete. The European Parliament holds authority over legislation concerning trade, climate, migration, and digital regulation. It also approves the EU budget and confirms the commission president. A larger right-wing bloc can impede legislation, slow negotiations, and force compromises that dilute policy proposals. The Green Deal, the EU’s primary climate initiative, now faces a more challenging environment. Migration rules, already a contentious issue, will be more difficult to tighten or reform in a liberal direction. The centrist coalition that has driven EU integration for decades must now contend with a stronger opposition that questions the union’s direction.
The election occurred alongside national votes in several member states, increasing the stakes. Domestic political dynamics in France, Germany, and Italy saw right-wing parties capitalize on discontent regarding immigration, inflation, and the costs associated with the green transition. The result is a parliament where the center retains a plurality, but the margins have shifted to the right.
For von der Leyen, the path forward is narrower. She can still construct a majority, but it will require more concessions. The European People’s Party will need allies. The traditional coalition with social democrats and liberals remains mathematically possible but is politically strained. The liberals, social democrats, and Greens all lost seats. The arithmetic works, but the politics may not. Von der Leyen must decide whether to court the right or attempt to hold the center together with a weaker hand. Either choice carries risk.
This election also marks a generational moment as the first European Parliament election after Brexit. The departure of British MEPs shifted the parliament’s balance. The UK had a large contingent of anti-EU members. Their absence might have been expected to strengthen pro-EU forces. Instead, the rise of right-wing parties within the remaining member states filled the vacuum. The EU’s internal divisions are now more visible than its external unity.
The parliament will now elect a new commission president, negotiate the next multiannual budget, and vote on trade deals, climate targets, and digital rules. The 2024 election did not produce a revolution, but it produced a parliament that looks different from the one before. The center is thinner. The right is stronger. The implications will unfold over the next five years.
