Timeline to new EU institutional leadership

Members' Research Service

April 29

Written by Giulio Sabbati and Silvia Kotanidis.

The June 2024 European elections are the focal point for a broader renewal of the leadership of all the European Union's main institutions. This timeline sets out the main steps up until the end of 2024, with likely timings.

Timeline to new EU institutional leadership

European Parliament	Finalisation of parliamentary work of the 9th parliamentary term; over 100 files were voted during the last part session, 22-25 April.
Election campaign	EBU–Eurovision debate, 23 May – lead candidates debate in Parliament's chamber in Brussels. Other debates may be held. For instance, at the Maastricht debate on 29 April, lead candidates of EU political parties will respond to questions on themes chosen by young Europeans.
European elections	Election of 720 Members of the European Parliament in 27 Member States. Election day is 6 June in the Netherlands, 7 June in Ireland, 7 and 8 June in Czechia, 8 and 9 June in Italy, and 9 June in all other Member States. The 1976 European Electoral Act prescribes that elections should take place within an electoral period within which Member States decide the election day (Article 11). The election results must not be made public by Member States until the last polling station is closed.
New Parliament	Formation of political groups and their leaderships. Political groups can be formed at any time during the legislative term, but they have an interest in being recognised before the constituent session (16 July). According to Rule 33 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure (RoP)* a political group must consist of at least 23 MEPs elected in at least one quarter (i.e. 7) of the Member States.
European Council	EU leaders will hold an informal meeting (17 June). At the formal European Council meeting (27-28 June), they will seek to agree on a package of high-level posts including those of the European Commission and European Council Presidents, and of the High Representative. For Commission President, the European Council proposes a candidate to Parliament, by qualified majority (Article 17(7) Treaty on European Union, TEU). The new European Council President is elected by qualified majority, in time to take office on 1 December.
European Parliament	New Members take office as of 16 July, with the constituent sitting of the 10th parliamentary term, 16-19 July, during which Parliament elects its Bureau (Rules 14-18 and 154(2) RoP): the President (max four ballots, by secret vote); 14 vice-presidents (max three ballots, by secret vote, with a single ballot paper for multiple candidates), and 5 quaestors (same procedure as for vice-presidents). Once the size of committees has been fixed by plenary, political groups then appoint committee members, striving for fair gender representation (Rules 206 and 209 RoP). Parliamentary committees hold constituent meetings (22-25 July) and elect their bureaux (chair and vice-chairs in separate ballots) from among their full members. Parliament determines the number of vice-chairs to be elected upon a proposal by the Conference of Presidents. Committee bureaux should reflect the diversity of Parliament and be gender balanced (Rule 213 RoP).
European Commission President	Upon invitation of Parliament's President, the candidate for Commission President makes a statement and presents political guidelines. The Commission President is elected by a majority of Parliament's component members by secret ballot (Article 17(7) TEU and Rule 124 RoP). This timetable assumes that the election of the Commission President takes place during the part-session following the constituent one, i.e. on 16-19 September, as was the case after the 2019 European elections. If, however, a candidate for Commission President is nominated in time, the political groups could decide to hold the vote during the July part-session.
College of Commissioners	The Council adopts a list of nominee commissioners upon suggestions by Member States, by common accord with the Commission President-elect (Article 17(7) TEU). Parliament's President asks the President-elect to inform Parliament of the planned structure and allocation of portfolios in the proposed College of Commissioners, and requests nominees to appear in confirmation hearings, which are held in public by the parliamentary committees (Rule 125 RoP). After presentation of the College by the President-elect, most likely in December, Parliament elects or rejects the Commission by a majority of votes cast, by roll call (Rule 125(5)-(8) RoP) (however, Parliament may defer the vote to the next sitting). Should the Commission President be elected earlier than September, the vote on the College could also be earlier.
European Ombudsman	The Ombudsman is elected after each European election (Article 228 TFEU) by a majority of votes cast (Rule 231(7) RoP).