Eurobarometer surveys are the official polling instrument used by the European Parliament, the European Commission and other EU institutions and agencies to regularly monitor the state of public opinion in Europe on issues related to the European Union, as well as attitudes on subjects of political or social nature. The Eurobarometer provides quality and relevant data for experts in public opinion, researchers, media and the public.

The Eurobarometer project was initiated in 1974 by the European Commission as a means to “reveal Europeans to themselves”. Since then, it has evolved and expanded significantly with different survey tools. In 2007, the European Parliament started its own regular series of Eurobarometer surveys, focussing on topics specific to the European Parliament, including the European elections.

The Eurobarometer One year ahead of the next European elections (2024) shows that&nbsp;public interest in the next&nbsp;elections has measurably increased. A clear majority of citizens (56%) are interested in the next European elections, 6 points higher compared to 2018, one year before the last European elections. Around two thirds of respondents (67%) say they would be likely to vote if the European elections were held next week.

A similar question was included in the EP Eurobarometer survey in April 2018, when 58% said they were likely to do so, indicating that citizens are currently more inclined to vote in the 2024 European elections than they were at a similar point in time before the 2019 elections. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, commenting on the results of the survey, said: “Elections matter. Voting is your chance to stand up for the issues important to you. I call on everyone and particularly our young people to go to vote and shape the European Union you want to live in.”

Eurobarometer

Every five years EU citizens choose who represents them in the European Parliament, the directly-elected institution that defends their interests in the EU decision-making process. The next European elections will take place in 2024.

The elections take place every five years and are the largest transnational elections in the world. By voting in the European elections, people living in the EU get to choose the 705 members that will represent them in the European Parliament until 2029. Following the elections, Parliament votes to elect the new head of the European Commission, which is the EU’s executive body, and to approve the full team of commissioners.

European elections 2024

The President of the European Central Bank (ECB) takes part four times a year in a monetary dialogue with Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) to report on monetary policy and answer question from MEPs.&nbsp;Although guaranteed independence under the Treaty, the ECB is accountable for its actions towards the European Parliament, and more precisely the ECON Committee.

The European Central Bank is the central institution of the Economic and Monetary Union and has been responsible for conducting monetary policy for the euro area since 1 January 1999 The ECB and the national central banks of all EU Member States constitute the European System of Central Banks.

monetary dialogue with the ECB (T)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

LAGARDE, Christine (FR)

9th parliamentary term

Monetary dialogue

The European Political Community (EPC) is a new platform for political coordination. Initially proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron and supported by EU institutions, the inaugural meeting of the EPC was held in Prague on 6 October. The 'EU+ summit' was hosted by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU and&nbsp;43 national delegations from the EU-27, Western Balkans and other countries, including the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Turkey attended.

A second meeting of the EPC was scheduled for&nbsp;Thursday June 1st 2023 in&nbsp;Bulboaca, Moldova, where the 47 participants discussed how to foster political dialogue and cooperation and strengthen security, stability and prosperity in Europe.

European Political Community

MEPs elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) on January 2022 as President of the European Parliament until 2024.

Roberta Metsola won the election in the first voting round, where she received an absolute majority of 458 votes out of 690 cast in the remote secret vote, among three candidates.&nbsp;

President Metsola is leading the Parliament in the second half of the current legislative term, until a new Parliament is constituted following the 2024 European Elections.

Born in Malta in 1979,&nbsp; Roberta Metsola who has been an MEP since 2013, is the youngest EP President ever elected. She became First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament’s acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January.

She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999- 2002).

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament

Have a look at the 2021 and 2022&nbsp;stockshots with illustrative pre-edited broadcast quality video footage. These editable stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), produced to illustrate priority EU dossiers and parliamentary work. They are intended to help audiovisual media produce their own programs, for example, editing of news reports or documentaries.

Infoclips (T)

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

The EYE (European Youth Event) brings together at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and online&nbsp;thousands of young people from all over the European Union and the world, to&nbsp;share and&nbsp;shape&nbsp;their ideas&nbsp;on Europe’s future. It is a unique opportunity for&nbsp;16 to 30 year olds to&nbsp;interact,&nbsp;inspire&nbsp;each other and&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;their views with experts, activists, influencers and decision-makers, right in the heart of European democracy.

EYE2023, the fifth edition of the event is taking &nbsp;place on&nbsp;9&nbsp;and&nbsp;10 June&nbsp;2023 and will feature both&nbsp;in-person&nbsp;and&nbsp;hybrid&nbsp;activities in Strasbourg. During the event, participants will take part in activities&nbsp;co-created&nbsp;with institutions, international organisations, civil society, youth organisations and participants themselves, offering a space for&nbsp;discussions and networking. In light of the European and global context and ahead of the&nbsp;European elections 2024, part of the programme will focus on the role of democracy and youth engagement.&nbsp;

EYE2023

The EU institutions deem&nbsp;the transparency and quality of the Hungarian legislative system a source of concern.&nbsp;In several&nbsp;Rule of Law reports, the European Commission highlighted the worsening situation in the country. It was noted that, among other issues,&nbsp;the risks posed to media pluralism&nbsp;and the pressure faced by those civil society organisations critical of the government.

MEPs have repeatedly expressed concerns over the state of EU values in Hungary, which have&nbsp;further deteriorated&nbsp;due to the “deliberate and systematic efforts of the government” and despite Parliament’s&nbsp;activation of the Article 7 mechanism.

Their latest concerns relate to laws being adopted without sufficient parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation, as well as the abusive invocation of the ‘state of danger’, the misuse of whistleblower protection to undermine LGBTIQ+ rights and freedom of expression, and the infringement of teachers’ social and labour rights.

Parliament underlined&nbsp;the important role the Presidency of the Council has in driving forward legislation, ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda and representing the Council in relations with the other institutions. It questions how Hungary will be able to fulfil this task credibly in 2024, given its lack of compliance with EU law and&nbsp;values, and the principle of sincere cooperation.

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Eurobarometer

European elections 2024

Monetary dialogue

European Political Community

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

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EYE2023

Rule of law in Hungary

Eurobarometer

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament

European Political Community

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