European voters head to the polls on final day of EU election

EU elections take place every five years, with citizens voting for parties or MEPs from their home countries to represent them at the bloc-wide level. Voting systems differ slightly across countries, but citizens can usually cast their ballot in favor of the same political parties at an EU election as they could during a national election. Parties then form alliances in the EU parliament. For example, the European People’s Party, which won the most seats in the 2019 EU election, is made up of MEPs from Christian-democratic, liberal-conservative and conservative parties from across the EU. The 720 MEPs come from all 27 EU countries — the most populous ones elect the most MEPs. Germany holds the top spot with 96 MEPs, while Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta have the lowest number of representatives, with six each. MEPs create and decide on laws and regulations across EU member states, addressing social, economic, climate, defense and other issues. One example is the Digital Services Act, designed to address illegal and harmful content online, which tech companies like social media giants must now abide by in Europe. Analysts are expecting the bloc’s policies to become more protectionist following the election, with defense likely becoming a bigger focus, while climate and environmental policies slip down the agenda. The European Parliament also plays a role when it comes to the EU’s budget, which it needs to approve and monitor, and elects the president of the European Commission, one of the key roles within the EU.