Key Facts: European Elections 2024

From Thursday to Sunday, the citizens of the European Union are being called to the polls to elect their representatives to the European Parliament. European elections are held every five years, and this year a total of 720 MEPs will be elected, 15 more than in previous elections.

The European Parliament is the only European Union institution directly elected by the people. It approves the Union's budget, controls how its money is used, elects the President of the European Commission and appoints its Commissioners.

The last European elections in 2019 recorded a turnout of 50.7 percent, the highest since 1994. In contrast, turnout at the 2014 elections was just 42.6 percent, the lowest ever recorded. However, there are significant differences between EU countries: in 2019, turnout ranged from 22.7 percent in Slovakia to 88.5 percent in Belgium.

According to a recent Ipsos survey, the far right could come out on top in several European countries, including Italy, Austria, Belgium and Hungary, as well as France, where the Rassemblement National, led by Jordan Bardella, is currently credited with 33 percent of voting intentions in recent polls.