Facing challenges together: The 2010s

The EU was facing new challenges, from the financial crisis to Brexit – how did voters react?

2014: This time it’s different: Act. React. Impact.  

Croatia elected MEPs for the first time, having joined the EU in 2013. 

These were the first elections to take place after the Lisbon Treaty entered into force. A new development for the European Parliament was the ‘Spitzenkandidaten’ process – the political group that received the most votes would now choose the President of the European Commission. With European citizens’ democratic votes having an impact on who would become European Commission President, the lead candidates of the political parties took part in televised debates, interviews, and rallies to inspire voters.    

Economic stagnation struck Member States. The EU looked to tackle the crisis in indebted countries to protect the euro’s stability and prevent the break-up of the euro area. The European Parliament’s Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS) made recommendations on how the EU should respond to the situation. The Parliament supported the creation of a Youth Employment Initiative, adopted in 2013, to fight against youth unemployment in the worst-affected regions in the EU.

In 2012, the European Parliament rejected the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), siding with critics of ACTA who argued that some of its provisions on internet piracy could jeopardise citizens’ liberties.

The European Parliament and the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv approved an agreement establishing political association and economic integration between the EU and Ukraine. On the global stage, the Arab Spring (2011) made headlines in Europe and civil war broke out in Syria.