Male, over 50, with a doctorate: this is the European Parliament today
On 9 June, Europeans will be voting to elect their next European Parliament. Data analysis by SWR Data Lab shows that the European Parliament is not as diverse as it could be.
Will the rise of far-right Europe be a wave or a tsunami?
In the run-up to the European Parliament elections, Europe's far-right parties are stronger than ever. On the one hand, this will probably mean that there will be more far-right MEPs in the next EP, but far right parties in their current form are too divided and disorganised to represent a real force.
How the European Parliament fails to reflect the diversity of the EU
Investigation by Noteworthy finds disabled people are significantly underrepresented, with little practical support given to improve participation.
Retire to the European Parliament? Young MEPs are few and far between
Just three of the 705 current MEPs are under 30, with the European Parliament historically being seen as ‘a retirement place’ - and that's not likely to change soon.
Too many European children are strangers in their native land
One third of the people Spain and Italy naturalised in 2022 were born there to foreign parents. In these countries, as in most of the European Union, such children must apply for citizenship after several years of residence. Other countries, such as Germany, recognise them as citizens at birth if the child’s parents are legal residents.
Tips on how to submit a requests for access to public information in Europe
According to their own transparency laws – which vary from state to state – European countries have a certain time limit within which the authorities must respond to requests for access to information submitted by citizens and civil society organisations. As pointed out by Civio, in practice, compliance with transparency laws is often insufficient
A long and harsh path to citizenship: interview with Elvira Mujčić
Writer, translator from Bosnian to Italian, Elvira Mujčić arrived in Italy when she was 14 years old, escaping the war. Today she is an Italian and Bosnian citizen: a long, almost Kafkaesque journey of dual citizenship that only the support of the community of the country that welcomed her has made more bearable.
Becoming a European citizen is an obstacle race: the paths to naturalization
European Union countries naturalised just 2.64% of their non-national population in 2022. The process is full of obstacles and often takes years.
Women in politics are progressing in the EU, in Hungary they are not
In the last five-year term, both the proportion of women in the European Parliament and in relevant positions in European institutions have improved significantly. In contrast, the Hungarian government hold a negative record for the participation of female ministers: there are none. Hungary is also last in the EU when it comes to the percentage of women in parliament.
Among young Europeans, Hungarians are the most hesitant about whether to vote or not
Young people in all EU countries were asked by a recently published Eurobarometer survey whether they would vote in the upcoming European Parliament elections and what other ways - if in any - they would participate in political and social life. On a European level the results are encouraging, for Hungary, not as much.
