Elections took place across the European Union from 6 – 9 June 2024. Every five years, European Union citizens elect their representatives as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). A total of 720 MEPs were elected in June 2024, 15 more compared to the previous elections. 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.
MEPs sit in political groups based on shared ideals/political affiliation. Broadly speaking, the terms “left” and “right” are used to describe political ideologies, i.e., liberal and conservative views, respectively. This is a broad categorisation and may not always accurately reflect the nuances of each party’s views in all cases. This tracker gives a general overview as to the political ‘direction of travel’ of the electorate within each Member State – whether, based on the MEPs elected, the parties represent more liberal or more conservative views.
Whether MEPs represent parties with liberal or conservative views can have a big impact on workplace laws, e.g., liberal views may favour a pro-employee stance on employment legislation, whereas conservative views could lead to a more pro-business/deregulatory approach being adopted. The values of the MEPs can determine the trajectory of EU workplace legislation.
KEY: ← Left Leaning
↑ Centre
→ Right Leaning
See our European election tracker here.