European Elections 

Political groups are (re)established following each election. There are currently eight political groups (one more than in the ninth term). A political group must consist of at least 23 MEPs elected in at least one-quarter of the member states (i.e. at least seven), as established in rule 33 of the EP rules of Procedure.

In the first plenary session following the elections, the new Parliament must elect its President from among the members (for a renewable term of two and a half years), alongside 14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors -which together comprise Parliament’s decision-making Bureau-, as established in rules 16, 17 and 18 of the EP Rules of Procedure.

Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT), EP President since January 2022, was re-elected in July 2024 until 2027, with 562 votes in the first round of voting.

Article 14 of the Treaty of the European Union provides that the EP “shall elect the President of the Commission”. In practice, based on rule 128 of the Rules of Procedure, the candidate proposed by the European Council presents their political guidelines to Parliament, followed by a debate.

On 18 July, Parliament backed Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as President of the European Commission, with 401 votes in favour in a secret ballot. Ahead of the vote, Ursula von der Leyen presented her political priorities for the next five years during a debate with MEPs.

The European Council formally appoints the College of Commissioners based on candidates proposed by member states, in agreement with the Commission’s President-elect and following approval by the European Parliament. As established in rule 129 of the Rules of Procedure, each Commissioner-designate is assigned responsibility for a specific policy area (portfolio) by the Commission President-elect in accordance with the political guidelines she/he has outlined. The relevant EP committees assess each of the Commissioners-designate, before a plenary vote (consent) on the appointment of the College as a whole.

Find all information about 2024 confirmation hearings of all commissioners in the dedicated webpage.

The procedure for Parliament to approve the College of Commissioners is described in detail in Annex VII to the Rules of Procedure.

The current College of Commissioners received Parliament’s approval in a vote on 27 November 2024, with 370 votes for, 282 against, 36 abstentions, following a plenary debate with President Ursula von der Leyen on its composition and the proposed Commission’s work programme.