María Corina Machado en Edmundo González Urrutia winnen dit jaar de Sacharovprijs voor de vrijheid van denken van het Europees Parlement. De Sacharovprijs voor de vrijheid van denken werd in 1988 in het leven geroepen om personen en organisaties te eren die opkomen voor mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden.

De Sacharovprijs voor de vrijheid van denken 2024

Als we denken aan het Europees Parlement, dan stellen we ons vaak parlementariërs voor die in een grote vergaderzaal hun stem uitbrengen. Die stemmingen vinden eigenlijk maar één keer per maand plaats, tijdens zogenoemde vergaderperiodes. Maar wat is een vergaderperiode dan precies? En hoe verloopt een plenaire vergadering?

Wat is de plenaire vergadering?

Vaktaal verklaard. Wat zijn de taken van de voorzitter van het Europees Parlement?

Wat zijn de taken van de voorzitter van het Europees Parlement?

On 19 March 1958, the European Parliamentary Assembly hold a first meeting in Strasbourg. Luciano GRANZOTTO BASSO, Oldest member of the Assembly leads the election. The representatives elect Robert Schuman as President. He is the single candidate at the function.

Constitutive session of the European Parliamentary Assembly: election of Robert SCHUMAN, as President of the Assembly

A formal sitting is&nbsp;held to mark an official visit to the European Parliament, made at the President’s invitation after consulting with the Conference of Presidents.

The official guest is seated to the right of the President on the podium. After the welcoming remarks by the President, the official guest addresses the&nbsp; Parliament from the central rostrum in the Chamber.

The address for a formal sitting of Parliament&nbsp;usually lasts 30 minutes and generally takes place before the voting session.

Formal Sittings

On certain occasions, David SASSOLI, President of the European Parliament, gives a speech during plenary sessions highlighting the news, a special event or pays tribute to a personality and asks for a minute of silence.

Statements of David SASSOLI, EP President in Plenary

Strasbourg's Plenary session through the lens - Week 14

EP Plenary session - Health care related tourism: protecting EU patients abroad

EP Plenary session - Voting session

EP Plenary session - 110th anniversary of the Armenian genocide

EP Plenary session - Establishment of a European Day of the Righteous

EP Plenary session - European Action Plan on Rare Diseases

Press conference on International Trade, on New tariffs imposed by Trump administration

EP Plenary session - Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

MEPs vote on the following topics : Estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026 ; Energy-intensive industries ; Targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – defending religious freedom and security

Voting session

European Parliament assesses the state of fundamental rights in Hungary after the pro-government majority changed the law on public assemblies in March 2025, enabling authorities to classify pro-LGBTIQ+ gatherings as violations of the Child Protection Act and consequently ban the Budapest Pride. MEPs are set to argue that this limitation of the rights of assembly and expression is a direct violation of the basic human and civil rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and the core values of the Union. In 1997, Budapest became the first capital of a former Communist bloc country to host a Pride march, a landmark moment for equality and freedom. However, Hungary’s government has been taking regressive steps for many years, dismantling institutions, the rule of law, and freedom of expression, to the point where Parliament can no longer consider the country a full democracy.

Recent legislative changes in Hungary and their impact on fundamental rights: MEPs debate

Recent legislative changes in Hungary and their impact on fundamental rights: opening statements by Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European Affairs and Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law

Recent legislative changes in Hungary and their impact on fundamental rights: extracts from the debate

Recent legislative changes in Hungary and their impact on fundamental rights: closing statement by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection

MEPs vote on the following topics : Guidelines for the 2026 budget (A10-0042/2025) Andrzej HALICKI.

Voting session - part 1

MEPs vote on the following topics: Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2024 ; Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2024 ; Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter

Voting session - part 3

MEPs vote on the following topics: the Agreement on a Norwegian Financial Mechanism for the period May 2021 - April 2028 ; Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ; Cooperation between the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) and the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina competent for judicial cooperation in criminal matters ; Strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement

plenary session

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