Europe in Debate #4: The European Parliament: one year on

[#Democracy] The European Parliament: one year on

The fourth edition of ‘Europe in Debate’ with Christine Verger, Vice-President of the Jacques Delors Institute, on her publication ‘Where has the European Parliament gone?’ – an in-depth look at the internal restructuring and tensions that are weakening the EU’s central democratic institution.

📋 Three observations to understand the gradual decline of the European Parliament

1. A pro-European majority more fragile than ever

Since the 2024 elections, the Parliament has undergone profound changes. The European People’s Party (EPP) remains the largest group, but the old balance has been shattered: the rise of far-right groups (Patriots for Europe, ECR – European Conservatives and Reformists, Europe of Sovereign Nations), the decline of Renew, and an absolute majority now achievable without the historic pro-European forces. The EPP, an unstable pivot, chooses its alliances on a case-by-case basis, sometimes even with the hard right. The result is a more polarised and unpredictable Parliament, as the balance of power has shifted in an equally complex European and international context.

2. An institution sidelined at key moments

Repeated recourse to Article 122 allows the Commission to act without going through Parliament in emergencies. Security, defence, geopolitics: structural decisions often bypass the traditional legislative process, to the benefit of the executive. However, the Parliament retains a significant lever: the multiannual budget. It can block or condition funding, as in the case of the Omnibus project or the repayment of the NextGenEU plan, whose interest payments (€25 billion) account for nearly 20% of the EU’s annual budget (€167 billion). This is real budgetary power in an increasingly constrained political framework.

3. A democratic risk

The European Parliament is supposed to be the voice of the people, but its role is fading as the EU governs itself in crisis mode. The democratic process, which is inherently slow, is often bypassed in favour of executives acting in a hurry: heads of state, the Commission, the Council. As a result, on major issues such as the war in Ukraine, international trade and relations with the United States, the Parliament remains largely sidelined. At a time when the executive is taking the lead, the Parliament is struggling to influence strategic priorities such as the green transition (which has been partially dismantled), the conditionality of European funds (Hungary, Poland) and competitiveness.

🎯 In short: The European Parliament is at a crossroads. Between marginalisation, political instability and permanent crisis, its ability to embody a vibrant European democracy is being tested. It is no longer just a question of preserving a parliamentary forum, but of restoring the Union’s democratic legitimacy to a level commensurate with the challenges of our time.

Read the publication: https://institutdelors.eu/publication/ou-est-donc-passe-le-parlement-europeen/

Thank you to the European Parliament in France for welcoming us to the #EuropaExperienceParis space 🙌