Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
European Parliament - statistics & facts
The European Parliament (EP) is the directly elected legislative body of the European Union, with elections taking place every five years. It adopts EU legislation and approves the Union’s budget, while controlling the executive. However, it cannot submit law proposals, which remains a Commission’s prerogative, and shares law-making powers with the Council of the EU, consisting of the ministers of the member states. The EP’s relatively weaker prerogatives compared to other EU institutions and national parliaments have fuelled criticism for the EU lacking democratic representation. While many citizens advocate for a stronger role for the EP, euroskeptic and nationalist parties increased their votes in the June 2024 election, even though the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) remains the largest group in the assembly.
