The European Union
 | 'Like it or loathe it, we're stuck with the EU.'
Margo Macdonald. |  |
The European Parliament, MEPs and Presidents
Elections
Members of the European Parliament are elected once every five years. The last European parliament elections were held on Thursday 10 th June 1999 (in the UK) and Sunday 13 th June (in most other countries).
The parliament was inaugurated in 1975 and prior to the first elections in 1979, Scottish MEPs were appointed by Westminster. Scottish members of this first parliament included Winnie Ewing for the SNP, Tam Dalyell for Labour and Russell Johnston for the Liberals.
Composition of the European Parliament
Until June 2004, there were 626 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs):
- 99 elected by Germany,
- 87 by the United Kingdom (including 8 Scottish MEPs),
- 87 by in France,
- 87 by Italy,
- 64 by Spain,
- 31 by the Netherlands,
- 25 by Greece,
- 25 by Belgium,
- 25 by Portugal
- 22 by Sweden,
- 21 by Austria,
- 16 by Denmark,
- 16 by Finland,
- 15 by the Republic of Ireland,
- 6 by Luxembourg.
Since June 2004, there are 730 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs):
- 99 (- 0) elected by Germany,
- 78 (-9) by the United Kingdom (including 7 (-1) Scottish MEPs),
- 78 (-9) by in France,
- 78 (-9) by Italy,
- 54 (-10) by Spain,
- 54 by Poland,
- 29 (-3) by the Netherlands,
- 24 (-1) by Greece,
- 24 by the Czeck Republic,
- 24 by Hungary,
- 24 (-1) by Portugal,
- 22 (-3) by Belgium,
- 19 (-3) by Sweden,
- 18 (-3) by Austria,
- 14 (-2) by Denmark,
- 14 by Finland,
- 13 by Lithuania,
- 14 by Slovakia,
- 13 (-2) by the Republic of Ireland,
- 9 by Latvia,
- 7 by Slovenia,
- 6 (-0) by Luxembourg,
- 6 by Cyprus,
- 6 by Estonia,
- 5 by Malta.
Presidents of the European Parliament
MEPs elect the President (or chair) of the European Parliament and his/her bureau from their midst, with a mandate of two and a half years. The first direct elections to the parliament wre in 1979. The folloing lists EP presidents since 1952 when the Parliament was the Common Assembly of the European Coal & Steel Community and the MEPs were representative members of national parliaments:
- 1952 - 1954 Paul Henri Spaak (Socialist, Belgium)
- 1954 Alcide de Gasperi (Christian Democrat, Italy)
- 1954 - 1956 Giuseppe Pella (Christian Democrat, Italy)
- 1956 - 1958 Hans Furler (Christian Democrat, West Germany)
- 1958 - 1960 Robert Schuman (Christian Democrat, France)
- 1960 - 1962 Hans Furler (Christian Democrat, West Germany)
- 1962 - 1964 Gaetano Martino (L, Italy)
- 1964 - 1965 Jean Duvieusart (Christian Democrat, Belgium)
- 1965 - 1966 Victor Leemans (Christian Democrat, Belgium)
- 1966 - 1969 Alain Poher (Christian Democrat, France)
- 1969 - 1971 Mario Scelba (Christian Democrat, Italy)
- 1971 - 1973 Walter Behrendt (Socialist, West Germany)
- 1973 - 1975 Cornelis Berkhouwer (L, Netherlands)
- 1975 - 1977 George Spénale (Socialist, France)
- 1977 - 1979 Emilo Colombo (Christian Democrat, Italy)
- 1979 - 1982 Simone Veil (LDR, France)
- 1982 - 1984 Piet Dankert (Socialist, Netherlands)
- 1984 - 1987 Pierre Pflimlin (EDF/RPR, France)
- 1987 - 1989 Sir Henry Plumb (Conservative, UK)
- 1989 - 1992 Enrique Barõn Crespo (Socialist, Spain)
- 1992 - 1994 Egon Klepsch (PPE, Germany)
- 1994 - 1997 Klaus Hänsch (PES, Germany)
- 1997 - 1999 José Maria Gil-Robles (PPE, Spain)
- 1999 - 2002 Nicole Fontaine (PPE, France)
- 2002 - 2004 Pat Cox, Republic of Ireland
- 2004 - Josep Borrel Fontelles (PES, Spain)
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