EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION, 2009

'Elections to the European Parliament' will be held around the month of June 2009 in the 27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. 496 million Union citizens will elect 736 MEPs by proportional representation, topping the 2004 election which was the biggest trans-national election in history.
It could potentially be the first election to take place under the expected Reform Treaty, increasing the power of the Parliament and relevance of the election.

Contents

Changes in this election

New member states

Media coverage

'Truly' pan-European parties

Potential events

Commission President

Alliance for Europe of the Nations

Movement for European Reform

Apportionment

References

Changes in this election

New member states

It will be the first time that Bulgaria and Romania participate in European Parliament elections at the same time as the other member states. They had joined in 2007 increasing the overall figure above the agreed threshold, seats have been reallocated to bring the total back down, to 736 (see apportionment below).
Croatia hopes to join in 2009 to participate in the elections, however due to the constitutional difficulties, Commissioner Rehn has said 2010 is more likely^[1].

Media coverage

National broadcasters are in cooperation with the EBU and Margot Wallström working to make the 2009 election more interesting to citizens. Previously, diverse election-broadcasting traditions in member states combined with the fact that the election takes place over several days has made it hard to attract viewers. The media consortium is hoping to focus the 2009 election more towards the EU level and the European Parliament itself, hoping to make the election more attractive and cosmetically interesting. ^[2].

'Truly' pan-European parties

A new type of parties has emerged since the 2004 election, namely ''Newropeans'', ''Europe United'' and ''Europe – Democracy – Esperanto''. They intend to run for campaigns in the 2009 election in more or less all member states simultaneously, although they are currently very limited in size. As opposed to established European parties such as the European People's Party or the Party of European Socialists, the new parties are not alliances of pre-existing national parties. The European Greens were the first to form a formal party to launch their cross-border campaign in 2004.

Potential events

Commission President

The proposed Reform Treaty is expected to enter into force in time for the elections, the text would retain changes outlined in the European Constitution.^[3] Those changes increased the powers of Parliament, including those powers over the appointment of the President of the European Commission.^[4] It has been suggested by some that political parties could run with candidates for the Commission President^[5]; with leaders now linking the post to elections and that convention having being enshrined in the Constitution, further encouraging the possibility^[6]. Plans by Margot Wallström would support political parties to run candidates, Barroso is seeking a second term and may gain the support of the People's Party^[7].

Alliance for Europe of the Nations

Ireland's Fianna Fáil, uncomfortable in the Alliance for Europe of the Nations (AEN) party, is expected to make another attempt to leave the group in favour of another party. It has previously attempted to join the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. ^[8][9]
The AEN is also under threat from a potential new group led by members of the European Democrats, who are attempting to wow at least two of its parties away, combined with a departure by Fianna Fáil its group in the Parliament, Union for Europe of the Nations, would cease to exist through lack of members.

Movement for European Reform

The Conservatives and Ulster Unionists of the United Kingdom, together with the Czech Civic Democrats will leave the European Democrats (effectively dissolving it through lack of members, only one Italian will be left) which is currently allied to the European People's Party (EP), and form a new parliamentary grouping based on the Movement for European Reform (MER).^[10]
They will need parties from 3 other countries to form a group (The Conservatives alone reach the minimum of 19 MEPs), there is speculation of two polish parties; Law and Justice and Civic Platform. The latter has stated it will not leave the EPP and the former was to stay aligned to AEN,^[11] although were Fianna Fáil to leave that group it might loose influence enough for Law and Justice to consider moving.
Another possible party is the Latvian TB/LNNK, also staying aligned to AEN. There are also numerous independents that might join the group. The most optimistic estimates suggest MER could become the third largest group in the Parliament.^[12]

Apportionment

At the previous election member states were granted a fixed allocation of seats for election. With the admission of Bulgaria and Romania, these allocations will be modified as follows:
:''Further information: Growth in membership of the European Parliament

References

1. Euractiv.com - Croatia will not join EU before 2010 - URL accessed on June 12, 2006
2. EU wants to dress up 2009 elections on TV, EUobserver.com Accessed February 26, 2007
3. Brussels European Council 21/22 June 2007: Presidency Conclusions
4. The Union's institutions: The European Parliament
5. Size shouldn't matter commentisfree.guardian.co.uk 10/01/07
6. Too much champagne, not enough leadership opendemocracy.net 10/07/03
7. European politics to get more political, EU Observer 27/06/07
8. [http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2006/12/26/181546/28 European Political Parties (Part II: the parties) [with Poll]: Alliance for the Europe of the Nations] eurotrib.com 28/12/06
9. FF ‘may switch to the Liberals’—Eh, since when are FF liberals? irishelection.com 19/12/06
10. In full: Cameron Euro declaration BBC News 13/07/06
11. Q&A: The Tories and the EPP BBC News 13/07/06
12. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4665818.stm The Tories and their EU allies 11/07/06