European Parliament Election 2029

What this countdown tracks

The tenth direct election to the European Parliament, expected over four days in late May / early June 2029 — provisionally Thursday 31 May to Sunday 3 June 2029. Some 360 million eligible voters across the European Union's 27 member states elect 720+ Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who in turn confirm the European Commission President and shape EU legislation for the 2029–34 mandate.

About this election

The 2024 vote shifted the Parliament rightwards: the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) won 188 seats, Socialists & Democrats (S&D) 136, Renew Europe 77, the Greens/EFA 53, and the new Patriots for Europe and European Conservatives and Reformists groupings reshaped the right flank, with the far-right ID-successor and ECR together approaching a quarter of seats. Ursula von der Leyen was reconfirmed as Commission President for a second term.

Each member state runs the election under its own electoral law subject to the 1976 Act and the 2018 reform, with proportional representation and a minimum 2 to 5 percent threshold in larger states. The Spitzenkandidaten process — which produced Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014 — has been weakened by Council preferences but is likely to return as a campaign frame in 2029. Member states vote on different days: the Netherlands traditionally on Thursday, Ireland on Friday, most others on Sunday.

Key issues

The 2029 campaign is likely to centre on the EU's response to the war in Ukraine and post-war reconstruction, the Common Foreign and Security Policy in light of US transatlantic posture, enlargement to Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, the European Green Deal versus competitiveness backlash following the Draghi report, AI Act and Digital Services Act enforcement, migration and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, and the Multiannual Financial Framework negotiation that runs in parallel.

Past results

• 2024 (6–9 Jun): EPP 188, S&D 136, Patriots for Europe 84, ECR 78, Renew 77, Greens/EFA 53, The Left 46 — turnout 51.0%.
• 2019: EPP 187, S&D 148, Renew 98, Greens/EFA 67, ID 76 — turnout 50.7%, the highest in 25 years.
• 2014: EPP 221, S&D 191, ECR 70, ALDE 67 — Juncker became Commission President.
• 2009: EPP 265, S&D 184, ALDE 84 — turnout 43.0%.

How to follow

The European Parliament publishes provisional and final results at results.elections.europa.eu; national electoral commissions publish first. Politico Europe, the Financial Times Brussels bureau, Euronews and Deutsche Welle run the dominant continental coverage; ARD's Tagesschau, France 2 and RAI cover the largest national audiences. Live results stream from polling close on Sunday evening at 23:00 CET.

Related countdowns

The 2029 EP vote runs in the same window as the UK general election and the Indonesia general election. For member-state context see the Finland parliamentary election, Portugal legislative election, Belgium federal election and Italian general election.

FAQ

When is the EU 2029 Parliament election? The provisional dates are Thursday 31 May to Sunday 3 June 2029, confirmed by the Council on a Parliament proposal one year out. Who is running? Pan-European political families (EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens, ECR, Patriots, The Left, ID-successor) field national lists; Spitzenkandidaten are designated by each family. Why does this election matter globally? It sets the composition of the only directly-elected supranational legislature, confirms the Commission President, and shapes EU regulation that has global reach via the Brussels Effect. How is the Commission President chosen? The European Council nominates a candidate "taking into account" the EP election result; the Parliament must approve by absolute majority.