Shaping Europe

Every five years, EU citizens across the 27 Member States have the chance to vote for the next European Parliament. They can choose the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who will make their voices heard and defend their interests at European level. MEPs will then assemble in what is now a powerful forum for political debate, exercising legislative, budgetary, and supervisory powers.

The first European elections took place in June 1979, at a time when the European Community had only nine Member States. The European Parliament, elected for a five-year term with 410 Members, became the first international assembly directly elected by universal suffrage. This event marked a decisive step on the road to European democracy, at the end of a lengthy process to give citizens a democratic voice at European level.