European Parliament party group: European People’s Party Group
2019 results: 182 seats
2024 elections projection: Slight gain, from 182 to 186 seats
Group leader: Manfred Weber (Christian Social Union in Bavaria, Germany)
Lead candidate: Ursula von der Leyen (Christian Democratic Union, Germany)
Priorities: The EPP prioritizes making the euro more stable—through what the party calls sustainable economic policies—and emphasizes the importance of free trade in creating jobs, reducing poverty, and strengthening relations with other countries. It aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises thrive, especially because of the role these businesses have in fostering innovation and developing the European workforce. More broadly, the EPP takes a strong stance on security, arguing for a defense commissioner position, a European Security Council, and “Single Market for Defense.” The party calls for a migration policy that makes clear the distinction between asylum seekers and irregular migrants and that puts in place greater external border controls; the EPP also backs EU support for national antiterrorism efforts. On climate, the EPP also supports efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure the bloc’s energy supply.
Party of European Socialists (PES)
Composition: Center-left and social-democratic parties
European Parliament party group: Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group
2019 results: 154 seats
2024 elections projection: Substantial loss, from 154 to 135 seats
Group leader: Iratxe García Pérez (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, Spain)
Lead candidate: Nicolas Schmit (Socialist Workers’ Party, Luxembourg)
Priorities: PES prioritizes social and labor rights by advocating for a living wage, affordable housing, and equal pay, as well as broader gender-equality initiatives such as efforts to counter gender-based harassment and improve women’s healthcare. After strongly backing efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and support Ukraine following Russia’s illegal invasion, PES advances work on improving European resilience and self-sufficiency. With an eye toward future challenges, the group views climate change as a complex issue requiring a just transition and robust sustainability efforts and seeks to mitigate the social impacts of rapidly evolving digital technology.
European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
Composition: Center-right and far-right parties
European Parliament party group: European Conservatives and Reformists Group
2019 results: Sixty-two seats
2024 elections projection: Slight gain, from 62 to 73 seats
Group Leader: Ryszard Legutko (Law and Justice Party, Poland) and Nicola Procaccini (Brothers of Italy, Italy)
Lead candidate: Refusing to announce a lead candidate
Priorities: ECR has proclaimed itself a “Eurorealist” group and argues for a decentralized EU that relies more on national governments and focuses on transnational issues such as migration, terrorism, and European competitiveness. The group argues for countering the EU’s centralization and reforming the EU as a “community of nations cooperating in shared confederal institutions.” Furthermore, ECR wants to cut spending it considers wasteful by EU institutions and promote efficiency by protecting whistleblowers. On migration, ECR believes the EU needs to support member states in securing the external border and work with other countries to prevent migration.
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE)
Composition: Center-left and center-right political parties
European Parliament party group: Renew Europe (Renew) Group
ALDE and associated parties in the Renew group are running under a common campaign platform for the 2024 elections. Subsequent content therefore represents the group instead of the party position.
2019 results: 108 seats
2024 elections projection: Significant loss, from 108 to 79 seats
Group Leader: Valérie Hayer (Renaissance, France)
Renew Lead candidate: Valérie Hayer (Renaissance, France)
Priorities: Renew is a pro-European group that promotes the integration of all European countries and believes in European solutions to challenges ranging from climate change to security and defense. Economically, Renew believes the single market is the path toward bolstering competitiveness and funding broader social initiatives such as health and education. The group aims to protect democracy, ensuring rule of law is respected, and countering populism and nationalism.
Composition: Left-leaning green and regionalist political parties
European Parliament party group: Greens-European Free Alliance (Greens-EFA)
2019 results: Seventy-four seats
2024 elections outcome: Significant loss, from 74 to 53 seats
Group leaders: Terry Reintke (Alliance 90/The Greens, Germany) and Philippe Lamberts (Ecolo, Belgium)
Lead candidate: Terry Reintke (Alliance 90/The Greens, Germany) and Bas Eickhout (GreenLeft, Netherlands)
Priorities: As an environmentally focused, pro-European group, the Greens argue for stronger climate regulations to meet ambitious emission reductions targets, for affordable green energy, and for greater environmental stewardship. More broadly, the Greens call on the EU to protect civil society, push for the installation of a minimum tax across the EU, and promote feminist policies and equal rights. The EFA subgroup focuses on self-determination and seeks to represent stateless nations, emerging states, and minority regions.
Identity and Democracy (ID)
Composition: Far-right nationalist and populist parties
European Parliament party group: Identity and Democracy Group
2019 results: Seventy-three seats
2024 elections outcome: Slight loss, from 73 to 58 seats (Note: this includes the loss of the German AfD)
Leader: Marco Zanni (League, Italy)
Lead candidate: Anders Vistisen (Danish People’s Party, Denmark) was named a token lead candidate to participate in the spitzenkandidat debate
Priorities: ID is a Euroskeptic group that argues for national governments having greater control over policy and disapproves of the EU imposing taxes or budgets. They also say that they want to preserve European national identities and are strongly opposed to immigration or Turkey joining the EU.
Party of the European Left
Composition: Left parties including democratic socialist, left-wing populist, and communist parties
European Parliament party group: The Left in the European Parliament (GUE/NGL)
2019 results: Forty-one seats
2024 elections outcome: Slight loss, from 41 to 36 seats
Leader: Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise, France) and Martin Schirdewan (The Left, Germany)
Lead candidate: Walter Baier (Communist Party, Austria)
Priorities: The Left is a pro-Europe group that seeks to use the EU to secure equal rights, counter economic inequality by wealth redistribution, and commit Europe to sustainable practices to tackle climate change and uphold animal rights. The group wants the EU to promote human rights globally and build its foreign policy based on peace. More broadly, the Left believes in “dignity, equality, and solidarity” in reference to civil liberties and therefore works towards reducing sexism, homophobia, racism, and xenophobia.
While the vast majority of Members of the European Parliament associate with one of these groups, a small handful do not belong to any group. These MEPs are called “Non-Inscrits.”
What is the makeup of the new European Parliament?
*Other includes newly elected MEPs that are not yet affiliated with any party group.
For more content on elections taking place around Europe in 2024, check out our Transatlantic Horizons project.
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Image: Members of the European Parliament take part in a voting session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, November 20, 2013. Picture taken with a fisheye lens. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE – Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
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Publish date : 2024-04-15 07:00:00
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