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It’s June 9th.
You stand in line in the blazing heat, or in the rain, and you ask yourself: what are you doing here?
You know you are about to cast a vote in the ‘European elections’, but while it feels like doing something, you realize you don’t actually know what that something is.
I mean you’ve read the articles in the news, but there are a bunch of words you don’t understand like ‘Spitzenkandidat’ and acronyms like MEP.
You’ve maybe heard the name Ursula Von der Leyen – or about the European Commission and Parliament – you’re not actually sure how they got their jobs – or if you vote actually had anything to do with it.
But when you slip your vote into the ballot box -you’re actually playing your part in one of 3 elections, and it will kickstart a series of events that will determine who will be the future leadership of the EU.
So how do European elections work, how do people get power in the EU, and what does your vote actually mean?
Its the story of 3 elections – 2 of which you vote in – 720 members of Parliament, 27 and commissioners and countries, 4 institutions and 1 union.
The EU elections
So back to your vote on June 6th to 9.
Parliamentary Election
Depending on where you live, the European election might work a bit different than your national one.
Your country has a limited amount of seats to fill, somewhere between 6 and 96 out of 720, depending on how large your country’s population is.
And the thing is your vote goes to a political party.
When the election result is announced, seats are assigned proportionally at the national level, based off party vote.
Parliamentary Groups & Balance of Power
Together, these national parties form political groups in the European Parliament.
There are currently seven, organized according to the most common parties found in many EU countries: the far left, the social democrats, the greens, the liberals, the Christian democrats, the conservatives and the far right.
There is an eighth group of non-affiliated parties.
European Parties are basically big tent movements which kind of cover the same issues. For example – the Dutch Liberal Party the VVD is in the same European party as opposition D66.
This Parliament approves the budget, negotiates on EU laws, and participates in the EU’s Second Election: by approving the president of the European Commission in a vote on the 18th of July.
That’s right after you vote, there is a second vote within the European Union: the one that elects the European Commission: the people you probably see or think of when you hear about the EU.
After all, it is the Commission, and specifically its president, who you see in newspapers or on TV, or giving speeches on social media
Commission president
And in order to get these people elected there are actually two competing system, proposed respectively by the European Parliament and European Council.
Two Systems: Spitzenkandidaat
On the one hand is the Spitzenkandidat.
When you go to vote for a party to represent you in the European Parliament, you will also see who the party’s leader is, and who their leading candidate for the European Commission presidency.
If your party has a majority, then this party leader is set as favored candidate for Commission presidency.
This happened successfully in 2014 with Jean-Claude Juncker.
Two Systems: Backroom dealings
But since it is actually the European Council who officially nominates the Commission president.
The Spitzenkandidat system can easily be over ruled by the heads of governments of the countries making up the EU.
Its what happened in 2019 when Ursula Von der Leyen was chosen over Manfred Weber for the role of Commission President.
After that happens the remaining commissioners are selected by their respective countries and also approved by the Parliament on a vote on the 19th of December
Its also the reason why the political background of EU commissioners match up closely with the governing parties of their own countries.
National Elections Have more impact
But that’s nor the only way National Elections influence the politics of the European Union.
The Council of the European Union -not to be confused with the European council -which like the Parliament negotiates and votes EU laws- is made up of 1 minister from each country.
So if we summarize there are 3 elections: the European elections, the National elections both of which you vote for – and the Commission which is elected indirectly from both of your other votes.
The results are institutions that represent the EU, National governments and European citizens, that work together and make the EU what it is.
Conclusion
And since EU laws and policies come from haggling between the Parliament, Council and Commission, any changes in the make-up of these institutions means changes in what the EU does.
And so that’s how your vote in both national and European elections that make the EU what it is.