This week: highlights from the election night, the first steps of a new MEP, and the battle for the presidency of the Parliament.

The Election Results

Hi, welcome to the news.   This week, highlights of election night:

the Parliament turned   into a giant TV set.

A new MEP's first steps: registration,   photo and visit of the building,

Lastly, the battle   for the presidential seat starts:

who will the next Parliament   President be?

Several candidates have announced they   were running to replace the President.

At 19:00, EuroparlTV announced   the results of the European elections.

Politicians paraded   the corridors all evening.

Live link-ups were made   with the main European capitals.

Students were invited on the set, a young   presenter from the channel was there,

as well as a cartoonist   to capture the atmosphere.

The first estimate came at 9pm: the   turnout for this election was weak.

43.31% participation   against 45.47% in 2004.

It's the lowest turnout in history.   Young Europeans were disappointed.

By 11pm you could see what the new   Parliament would look like.

The Greens and eurosceptics   from all sides made it.

At midnight, the first conclusions came   from Milan, Dublin, Warsaw and Berlin.

It's too early to speak about the results   of the elections in Italy.

Headlines for Monday's newspapers   arrived at 1am.

Some stated that citizens   were tired of the EP.

Yet, its role is more important   than in the past

and it's playing an increasing role   in everyday life.

It took a bit longer to find out   if young people voted more than last time.

In 2004, only 1 in 10 young people   between 18-24 years old voted.

Hello. Are you the person   I'm supposed to see to register?

There are some formalities   I need to comply with.

You are the first one.   -The very first one? Unbelievable!

A new MEP is arriving   at the European Parliament.

Isabelle Durant is the first new MEP to   come to register with the administration.

head of the list her party presented   for the 7 June election.

She was almost guaranteed   a seat in the hemicycle.

Still, she is somewhat excited   about her new functions.

The cosmopolitan and international side   is a change from national Parliaments

which are unilingual or bilingual and   focused on small national problems.

She was Transport and Mobility   Minister in Belgium

and will have to get used   to a wider working environment:

from her country's politics   to European politics.

I'm not starting from scratch   but I've got a lot to learn.

I'm happy about this.   That's the fun of politics:

broadening one's spectrum   of knowledge and experiences

Each MEP belongs to a  working group   called parliamentary committee.

If Isabelle Durant could choose, she   would opt for the Transport Committee.

It's very important   in the fight against climate change.

The next event for her will be   the first plenary session in Strasbourg.

All 736 new MEPs will meet   in the hemicycle for the first time.

They will attend, vote and debate   in the name of European citizens

He watches over the European   Parliament, its rules and functioning.

The President represents the Parliament   in front of the EU,

its institutions and the 27 Member States.

He's the voice of European citizens   throughout the world.

Over 30 years, the power of the   Parliament has increased.

Consequently, the role of the President   is more and more important.

At the moment, the President is German   but after the election,

Hans-Gert Pöttering   is going to be replaced.

Who will be his successor   for the next 5 years?

from different political families   and from different nationalities.

Each political group presents   its own candidate.

Tradition has it that the 2 biggest groups   agree to share the Presidency.

They occupy the seat   in turn for 2.5 years.

But this time, a different agreement   may be found.

The big groups could ally with smaller   ones, instead of between themselves.

This would allow candidates   from smaller groups to become President.

The battle for the presidential seat   is only starting.

The President of the Parliament   will be appointed by the 736 MEPs

during a vote which will take place   on 14 July.