Legislative body of the European Union, the European Parliament

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2025 September 18 . 1:35 AM

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The European Parliament, a key legislative institution in Europe

Legislative body of the European Union, the European Parliament

The European Parliament (EP) has commenced its tenth legislative term following the June 2024 elections, with Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola presiding as its President. This marks a significant milestone for the EP, the directly elected representative body of the citizens of the European Union, which was established in 1952 as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community.

Since its inception, the EP has been composed following general, direct, free, and secret elections, a tradition that continues to this day. The official seat of the EP is Strasbourg, where a plenary week usually takes place at least once a month. However, the EP also works in Brussels and Luxembourg.

In the 2024 European Parliament elections in Germany, major parties that ran included the CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens (Die Grünen), Free Democratic Party (FDP), Left (Die Linke), and Alternative for Germany (AfD). The AfD notably gained seats as part of the far-right bloc, while the Left also increased its number of seats to 55, indicating a polarization trend in the new European Parliament composition.

Germany, the most populous EU member state, holds 96 seats in the European Parliament, making it the largest delegation. Most of these MEPs belong to one of the now eight political groups: European People's Party, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Patriots for Europe, European Conservatives and Reformists, Renew Europe, The Greens/European Free Alliance, European United Left/Nordic Green Left, and Europe of Nations and Freedom.

At the beginning of the current legislative period, 7 German MEPs were elected as committee chairs. The Foreign Affairs Department handles fundamental questions regarding the European Parliament as an EU institution. The EP's main tasks include legislation, democratic control over other EU institutions, adoption of the EU budget, and election of the President of the European Commission.

The EP's work is divided among a total of 24 committees in preparation for plenary sessions. The European Parliament's liaison office in Germany can be found on its official website.

In addition to Metsola, the EP's leadership team includes David Sassoli, the Italian Vice-President, and Iratxe García Pérez, the Spanish First Vice-President. The EP's mission remains crucial in shaping the future of the European Union, ensuring democratic accountability, and representing the diverse voices of its citizens.