The outcome of the European Parliament election is unlikely to cause a dramatic shift in EU policy, particularly foreign policy, but it could hamper the reaching of consensus on important issues like upcoming internal reforms for the EU
The European Parliament has traversed a long road from being an unelected consultative assembly to becoming a real legislative and representative body of European citizens. However, during the years of Europe’s political integration, the Parliament isn’t the only thing to have changed. Today’s EU has become a politicised community, and the multiple crises that have hit since 2008 have contributed to polarising the European political space. As such, this year’s elections take place in a context that differs compared to those held two or more decades ago. Preliminary polls suggest that radically Eurosceptic parties could gain more seats in parliament and thus influence decision-making.
And yet, the political landscape is far from simple, and the influence of extremist parties isn’t only determined by the number of seats they secure through elections. These parties hail from various sides of the political spectrum and have contrasting views on individual issues that are often determined by their country of origin.
The Parliament’s role in enlargement policy is limited to passing resolutions and deciding on the final stage of the process, so the elections won’t have a major impact on the Western Balkans’ position
The Parliament isn’t the Union’s only legislative body. Its ability to influence decision-making is limited by the powers of other institutions, such as the European Council, which represents the governments of member states. Thus, despite the ever-increasing radicalisation of politics in Europe, decision-making processes in the EU include numerous stakeholders, and therefore tend more towards the kind of negotiation and consensus likely to result in more moderate decisions.
Furthermore, the Parliament is unable to legislate at all in some policy areas. When it comes to the foreign affairs of the European Union, for example, the Parliament’s powers are reduced to recommendations and discussion of numerous issues. When it comes to enlargement policy, the Parliament’s role is limited to passing resolutions and deciding on the final stage of the process.
Nonetheless, despite the formal limits on the Parliament’s authority, elections have always provided EU citizens with a platform to express their dissatisfaction or send a warning to their governments in periods between national elections. As such, the continuous trend of strengthening radical parties could have a limiting effect on moderate parties in national governments, by pressuring them to compromise on certain issues, such as support for Ukraine, migrant issues or the green agenda. Still, the outcome of the European Parliament elections probably won’t cause a dramatic turnaround in EU policy, particularly when it comes to external policies. However, this could hamper the reaching of consensus on important issues like the EU’s upcoming internal reforms, which will largely determine the future of enlargement.
