The first EP elections were held in 1979 with the participation of nine member states. This time between 22 and 25 May some 400 million Europeans from 28 countries are eligible to cast their votes and elect a new European Parliament.
In the United Kingdom the EP elections took place on 22 May. And Hungarians will be going to the polls again on 25 May – less than two months after the general elections.
These elections offer EU citizens a unique opportunity to pass judgement on the performance/achievements of the EU and also to influence how Europe will be shaped in the coming years.
These are the first parliamentary elections since the Lisbon Treaty came into force, which gave the European Parliament more powers. One of the changes is that the new Parliament will vote on the new European Commission.
This new Commission will be in place in the next five years while the UK, together with like minded member states, will be seeking to push through an ambitious reform programme designed to make the EU more competitive, flexible and democratically accountable.
To promote the dialogue on EU reform the British Embassy in Budapest – in co-operation with Századvég ( a leading Hungarian think tank) is organising a one-day conference in early June. This coincides with the Budapest visit of minister without portfolio Ken Clarke, a British Minister with a long government career and in depth knowledge of Europe. Mr Clarke will also be speaking to Hungarian business people and policy makers about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), where an ambitious deal will mean huge growth and job creation potential for Europe, and UK efforts to secure Better EU Regulation, an important step to making our businesses more competitive in an increasingly globalised world.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the British government.