After the EU elections – what happens now?
Approximately one week after the EU elections, the Election Authority established the Swedish election result and allocated the Swedish seats in the European Parliament.
The Election Authority counted how many seats each party received on the basis of the votes, and which of the parties’ candidates had been elected to the new European Parliament. Only parties that have received more than 4 per cent of the votes in the elections are counted. Parties with fewer than 4 per cent of the votes do not obtain any seats in the European Parliament.
Sweden currently has 21 seats in the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) elected for the 2019–2024 legislative term retained their seats until 15 July 2024. However, the newly elected MEPs commenced their task of forming political groups for the new legislative term directly after the elections.
Elections results on the Election Authority website (in Swedish)
European election results on the European Parliament website
16 July – the new legislative term started
The new legislative term started on 16 July, and the new European Parliament commenced its work with a meeting in Strasbourg, France. Firstly, the Parliament elected a President to lead the work of the European Parliament. Roberta Metsola from Malta was re-elected as President. The MEPs then elected the chairs of the committees, and which committees they will work in. Most MEPs are members of a committee and substitutes in another committee.
On 18 July, the Parliament re-elected Ursula von der Leyen from Germany as President of the new European Commission. It is the EU countries’ heads of state and government in the European Council that propose the candidate for President of the European Commission, but the Parliament has to approve the proposal. According to the EU treaties, the President’s political views should reflect the majority in the newly elected Parliament.
The new European Commission is formed
Once it had been determined that Ursula von der Leyen would continue as President of the Commission, she put together, in collaboration with the EU member states, a proposal for the composition of the new European Commission. In Sweden, it is the Government that proposes Sweden’s candidate for European Commissioner. In July, the Swedish Government proposed former Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Roswall as Sweden’s new European Commissioner.
The President of the European Commission decided, together with the member states’ governments, who would be responsible for what in the Commission. The Commissioners-designate were then summoned to hearings in the European Parliament’s committees, where they answered both oral and written questions.
Sweden’s Commissioner-designate Jessica Roswall was heard in the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on 5 November 2024. She was approved as Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy on 6 November.
After everyone had been heard, the members of the European Parliament held a vote as to whether or not they could approve the new European Commission as a whole. At this stage, they could not vote on whether they approved individual candidates. The new European Commission commenced its work on 1 December 2024.
Many positions are appointed after an EU election
After an election to the European Parliament, there are many positions in the EU that need to be filled with new people. As mentioned above, the Parliament elected a President and approved the President of the European Commission. During the autumn, the new Commission was put together, comprising the President and one member (Commissioner) from each member state – in total 27.
The heads of state and government in the European Council have also elected a new President who leads and coordinates the work, António Costa from Portugal, who will take office on 1 December. Furthermore, a new High Representative has been appointed. The High Representative leads the EU’s work with foreign affairs and security policy and is also known as the EU’s foreign minister. The European Council proposed Kaja Kallas from Estonia as new High Representative. She was subsequently approved by the President of the Commission and took office on 1 November.