European elections 2024: Rules of a pan-European democratic event

In June 2024, around 400 million EU citizens go to the polls to elect the Members of the European Parliament's 10th legislature. As the only EU institution that represents EU citizens, elections to the European Parliament are therefore major democratic events, and the only one at EU level that resembles national democratic electoral consultation. European elections, however, differ from the national version, as they are part of a context of multi-tier government, sometimes perceived as 'second order elections'. The main difference is that the European elections are a rather fragmented exercise, since a great part of the electoral process, including the way in which the right to vote is exercised, remains subject to national rules. In addition, the lack of a real transnational forum in which to debate European (as opposed to national) issues during European elections is one reason why European elections have failed to earn attention comparable to national elections, despite the prominent role the European Parliament has acquired in European policy-making in recent decades. A number of reforms have been put forward over the years. Measures to harmonise rules or mechanisms that would personalise the elections and hence bring more visibility to the candidates and their campaigns have been proposed. Two reforms are pending. In one case, to harmonise a few aspects of the electoral process. In the other, to make additional deeper reforms with the introduction of a Union-wide constituency. A repeat of the lead candidate process (a political rather than a legal practice), is also likely to be attempted for the 2024 elections. This briefing explores the legal framework of the EU electoral rules, highlighting which aspects are governed by national rules, and describes the innovations the reforms currently on the table could bring. It also analyses decisions on the composition of Parliament and initiatives to strengthen the resilience of the electoral process.