On Thursday, June 6, 2024, you can go to the polls for the European elections. This helps you determine which 31 Dutch MEPs will take a seat in the European Parliament. You vote for the parties that we already know from the national elections, but these parties are part of a larger European whole. How exactly does it work?
What does the European Parliament do?
Since 1979, European elections have been held every 5 years. Your vote influences the composition of the European Parliament, in fact the House of Representatives of Europe. In 2019, the Netherlands will receive 26 of the 751 seats in this European Parliament, after the 2020 Brexit this has been updated to 29 of the 705 seats. The current 29-member Dutch delegation in the European Parliament can be found here. After the 2024 elections, there will be 720 MEPs, 31 of whom are from the Netherlands.
The European Parliament decides on European legislation, which also influences our daily lives. Think of free travel, universal USB-C chargers for all electrical devices and cheap calling, internet and Netflix-use abroad. Examples of European themes that will play a role in 2024 are cheaper electric cars, more charging stations, the right to repair of electrical products and a higher Spotify compensation for small musicians.
To illustrate: in this letter the municipality of Apeldoorn provides additional explanation about the European elections and current themes.
Also read: Kees Boonman about upcoming European elections: “The EU is mortal and can also die”
Dutch party, but European faction: where exactly does your vote go?
20 Dutch parties will participate in the European elections on June 6, 2024, from GroenLinks-PvdA to the Pirate Party. So you are voting for a Dutch party. But keep in mind that these Dutch parties are part of a European faction. GroenLinks and the PvdA, for example, work together in the Netherlands, but each belongs to a different faction in Europe. GroenLinks is part of The Greens/European Free Alliance. PvdA belongs to the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, of which Frans Timmermans has been the face for many years.
VVD and D66 are also part of the same faction, namely Renew Europe. CDA and Christian Union are part of the European People’s Party, to which BBB and NSC also want to join. There are also the European Conservatives and Reformers groups (Forum for Democracy, JA21 and SGP), Identity and Democracy (PVV) and the Left Group (Party for the Animals).
Also read: Types of petrol in Europe: this is the name your fuel has abroad
What are Spitzencandidates during the European elections?
The party leaders of each European faction are known as Pointe candidates. Now that Timmermans has exchanged the European Union for domestic politics, Bas Eickhout (GroenLinks) is the only remaining Dutchman among the Spitzencandidates. As in 2019, Eickhout leads the Greens/European Free Alliance. The best-known name is that of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who heads the European People’s Party.
Speaking of the European Commission: this body, led by Von der Leyen, is the executive body of the European Union. All 27 Member States provide 1 European Commissioner. Since 2023, this has been Wopke Hoekstra, who has been nominated as Timmermans’ successor. We explain in an earlier article what the daily activities of the Dutch European Commissioner are.
(Source: Archives, European Parliament, Electoral Council, NOS, NPO Kennis, Nieuwsuur in classroom, Business Insider, NRC, ANP. Photos: Shutterstock/MAX Today Editorial)
