Diversity in the composition of the new European Parliament
While the June elections have changed the composition of the Strasbourg assembly, the gender and generational distribution still does not reflect the reality of European citizens.
Open Day at the European Parliament in Brussels
Between 6 and 9 June, some 360 million European citizens were called to the polls to elect their European Parliament members. Fifty-one percent of eligible voters participated in the elections: a low turnout, but a slight increase compared to previous elections.
Unfortunately, the results of these elections still tend to be read in light of national politics. Yet the European Union plays a fundamental role in many policy areas, and it is the parliament that gives it democratic legitimacy.
This is why it is important to know the composition of the European Parliament (EP). Both in terms of its political components (the parliamentary groups), and its ability to represent the diversity of its citizens.
The Gender gap in the European Parliament
Among the MEPs elected in June, women accounted for 38.53 percent. This is slightly lower than the figure recorded among MEPs in office at the end of the last parliamentary term (39.86 percent). In short, there is no improvement in terms of gender parity, with female representation remaining slightly below 40 percent.
Among the various member states, however, there are many differences. They range from Sweden, where women make up 61.9 percent (13 out of 21), to Cyprus, which has elected male MEPs exclusively (6 out of 6).
Legend: Proportion of women (%)
SOURCE: SWR and EDJNet data processed by Openpolis (last update: Friday 19 July 2024)
Gender disparity in the parliamentary groups
Overall, the group with the largest share of female MEPs is the Greens with 50.94 percent (27 out of 53). In second place is The Left with 45.65 percent (21 out of 46) and in third place Renew with 44.16 percent (34 out of 77).
The two largest parliamentary groups, namely the Socialists (42.65 percent – 58 out of 136) and the European People’s Party (36.70 percent – 69 out of 188) fare slightly worse, with the latter being overtaken by the Patriots for Europe (40.48 percent – 34 out of 84). However, it must be said that the People’s Party has two women in what are among the most important posts in the European institutions: the president of the parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The situation changes somewhat if one looks at Italian representation, though the Greens are still at the top. These are four out of the six members who were elected in Italy on the Greens-Left Alliance list. Among them, women make up exactly half.
However, female representation among Italians in the Patriots for Europe group, consisting of MEPs elected from the ranks of Lega, is also at 50 percent (4 out of 8).
In third place is the European People’s Party (EPP) with 3 out of 9 MEPs (33.3 percent). In this case the Forza Italia – Noi Moderati list elected 3 out of 8, while an additional MEP came from the Südtiroler Volkspartei (SVP).
The EPP is followed by MEPs in The Left group (30 percent – 3 out of 10). Here, however, it is useful to distinguish between those elected from the Green and Left Alliance, who are one man and one woman (50 per cent), and those of the 5-Star Movement, where women are only 25 percent of the MEPS (2 out of 8).
The figure for women in the Socialist Group elected by the Democratic Party is relatively low, with only 38.1 percent, or 8 out of 21.
In last place comes the Prime Minister’s party, Fratelli d’Italia, which is a member of the Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR), who elected only 5 women out of 24, or 20.8 percent.
Generational representation
The MEPs who currently hold seats were on average 50 years old on the date of election. Again, there are significant differences here between member states. Among the 6 MEPs elected from Malta, the average age is just 40, with the youngest being just 29, and the oldest only 55. On the opposite end is Luxembourg. Here the average age is 60, and the youngest MEP is 42.
Again, Italy is near the bottom of the ranking: 23rd out of 27. The average age of Italy’s MEPs is 52.
In this regard, it is useful to bear in mind that the rules for the active electorate (i.e. the right to vote) and passive electorate (i.e. the right to stand as a candidate) vary among the member states. In most countries, a person must be at least 18 to both vote and stand for election. In some countries, however, citizens can already vote at the age of 16 or 17, while in others it is necessary to be at least 21, 23 or 25 to be elected. In the case of Italy, a person is eligible to vote at the age of 18, but must be 25 in order to stand for the European Parliament (Law 18/1979, Article 4).
The oldest Italian MEP is Leoluca Orlando, 76, elected with the Green and Left Alliance. The youngest, on the other hand, is Paolo Inselvini of Fratelli d’Italia, who is only 29 years old. In fact, Fratelli d’Italia is one of the two Italian parties with the youngest MEPs, with an average age of 50, tied with The Left.
SOURCE: SWR and EDJNet data processed by Openpolis (Last update: Friday 19 July 2024)
Among the groups with fewer young people are the Socialists (PD), with an average age of 54, and the EPP (Forza Italia and SVP) with an average of 57, and not a single MEP under 40.
European Data Journalism Network
This article was produced within the framework of the European Data Journalism Network, the platform for data-driven news on European affairs, of which Openpolis is a member. The project on diversity in the European Parliament was coordinated by Südwestrundfunk (SWR), a German organisation not part of EDJNet.
Original Source: https://www.openpolis.it/le-diversita-nella-composizione-del-nuovo-parlamento-europeo/
