In a bustling Strasbourg, the newly elected members of the European Parliament are preparing for their first plenary session on July 16, 2024. One of the main tasks on their agenda is the election of the President, who will lead the Parliament for the next two and a half years. The President holds significant executive and representative powers, ensuring the smooth operation of the Parliament.
The procedure for electing the President of the EP is outlined in the Parliament’s regulations, specifically Articles 14 to 16. Candidates can be nominated by a political group or by a group of deputies representing at least 1/20 of the members. Before the vote, candidates have the opportunity to address the Assembly for a maximum of five minutes.
The election session is overseen by the outgoing President or one of the outgoing Vice-Presidents. Eight scrutineers, randomly selected from the deputies, supervise the process. The election takes place through a secret ballot, requiring an absolute majority of valid votes cast. Blank or invalid ballots are not considered.
The deadline for presidential nominations was set for Monday, July 15 at 7 pm. If no candidate is elected in the first round of voting, they or other candidates can run again in a second round under the same conditions. A third round may occur if needed, following the same rules. If no candidate is elected in the third round, the two candidates with the most votes proceed to a final fourth round, where the candidate with the highest number of votes is declared the winner.
Traditional paper ballots will be used for voting, not electronic voting systems.
Once elected, the new President will assume their role and deliver an inaugural speech marking the beginning of their term.
(source: European Parliament website)
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