ASSESSMENTS

European Parliament Elections Mark the End of EU Legislative Consensus

May 22, 2019 | 09:00 GMT

A pedestrian passes election campaign posters of the left-wing Die Linke and of the center-right German Christian Democrats on May 13, 2019, in Berlin.

(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Highlights

European Parliament elections will result in a more fragmented legislature, which will force the long-dominant two largest center-right and center-left parties to reach compromises with smaller forces to pass legislation.
A more fragmented parliament will slow the EU legislative process, and could kill legislation by diminishing the ideological alignment between the European Parliament, which represents EU voters, and the European Council, which represents EU governments.
This will lead to greater uncertainty about the policy direction of the European Union as investors, companies, financial markets and interest groups will find it harder to foresee the outcome of the legislative process.

Every member state of the European Union will hold elections between May 23 and 26 to select its representatives for the European Parliament, the bloc's Continental legislature. While not as prominent as other EU institutions, the parliament plays a significant role in shaping the bloc's policies. It is a co-legislator alongside the European Council, which represents the EU governments. But while the approval of each is required to pass laws proposed by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, the European Parliament also appoints the president of the European Commission and his or her team of commissioners and approves the multiyear EU budget. A more fragmented parliament will slow down the EU legislative process, and could kill legislation by diminishing the ideological alignment between the European Parliament, which represents EU voters, and the European Council, which represents EU governments. ...

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