The EU Parliament is moving to the right after the elections. It remains to be seen whether new political groups will be formed. Until now, seven political groups have been represented in the EU Parliament. 83 of the 720 MEPs do not currently belong to a political group; many of them are members of far-right parties. The first plenary session with the newly elected MEPs will take place between 16 to 19 July 2024. By then, the political groups will have constituted themselves in order to be officially recognised at the plenary session. Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), describes the election result as a "wake-up call" to EU leaders and calls on all democratic forces to work together.

Impact on employees
The EU Parliament is a co-legislator at EU level and negotiates legislative proposals submitted by the Commission together with the Council. Its votes are generally decided by simple majority (at least 361 votes). The political group affiliation of MEPs alone is not decisive, as political groups (unlike in national parliaments) do not always vote uniformly. Nevertheless, an alliance of right-wing groups has been noticeable in recent years, which voted against the concerns of employees, against equality, climate protection or the EU Supply Chain Act. MEPs from the political groups most vocally criticising the EU, together with MEPs representing business interests, often rejected those initiatives that could make the EU more socially just. The election result is likely to make it more difficult to achieve majorities in favour of workers´ concerns in the EU Parliament in the future. "This development does not bode well for workers," commented Wolfgang Katzian, President of ÖGB and ETUC.

Next steps
Following the election, negotiations are currently underway to fill the top jobs in the EU. These include, in particular, the presidencies of Commission, European Council and Parliament. On 17 June 2024, the heads of state and government of the EU Member States discussed the positions at an informal meeting. An agreement has not yet been reached. The decision is to be made at the upcoming European Council meeting on 27 and 28 June 2024.

The leading candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) Ursula von der Leyen is the favourite for the office of Commission President. Following the nomination by the European Council, the EU Parliament must vote on the election of the Commission President. For this reason, the top EU positions are currently being negotiated both at the level of the heads of state and government and at the level of the political groups in the EU Parliament. The current Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a Liberal, is to become the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. António Costa, the socialist former Prime Minister of Portugal, is to be nominated by the heads of state and government as President of the European Council from 1 December 2024. According to reports, the EPP group wants to fill the post after two and a half years with someone from its ranks, but not all heads of state and government agree. However, the European Council meeting on 27 and 28 June will not only be exciting in terms of personnel decisions. The Strategic Agenda, which sets out the political priorities at EU level for the next five years, will also be adopted.

Constitution and important tasks of the newly elected EU Parliament
At its first plenary session from 16 to 19 July 2024, the EU Parliament will recognise its political groups and elect the President of the European Parliament. The incumbent, Roberta Metsola (EPP), is expected to remain in office for the next two and a half years. The Social Democrats will claim the post for the second half of the legislative term. At the first plenary session, MEPs will also decide on the number of members who will sit on the individual parliamentary committees. In the week following the first plenary session, from 22 to 25 July 2024, the committees of the EU Parliament will be constituted.

One of the most important tasks of the new EU Parliament is the election of the EU Commission President. Afterwards, during the autumn period, the EU Parliament will assess the candidates for the post of Commissioner (Commissioner-designate) in public hearings. The new Commission must receive the approval of the EU Parliament in a plenary vote in order to take office. AK will follow this process closely. The goal remains clear: as the voice of workers, AK will continue to stand up for the interests of employees and consumers.

Further information
EU Parliament: 2024 European election results
EU Parliament: After the elections
EU Parliament: Timeline after the elections
EESC: Statement by EESC President on the results of the European Parliament elections 2024
ÖGB: 2024 European elections - Shift to the right in Europe (German only)