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A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is the English name for a person who has been elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament

The European Parliament is the only direct election parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral Institutions of the European Union#Legislature of the Institutions of the European Union and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world....
, of of the the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
's two legislative bodies. MEPs are the European Union's equivalents of a country's national legislators
Legislator

A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people....
, known by terms such as MP
Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators....
, Senator or Congressman. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as euro-deputy being common in Latin countries.

When Parliament was first established, MEPs were appointed by member states from members of their own national parliament.






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A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is the English name for a person who has been elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament

The European Parliament is the only direct election parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral Institutions of the European Union#Legislature of the Institutions of the European Union and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world....
, of of the the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
's two legislative bodies. MEPs are the European Union's equivalents of a country's national legislators
Legislator

A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people....
, known by terms such as MP
Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators....
, Senator or Congressman. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as euro-deputy being common in Latin countries.

When Parliament was first established, MEPs were appointed by member states from members of their own national parliament. Since 1979, however, MEPs have been elected by direct universal suffrage. Each country establishes their own way of electing their MEPs and in some countries the electoral system has changed over time and across regions. For a list of the current members see Members of the European Parliament 2004-2009
Members of the European Parliament 2004-2009

This is a list giving breakdowns of the European Parliamentary session from 2004 to 2009.*MEPs for Austria 2004?2009*MEPs for Belgium 2004?2009*MEPs for Bulgaria 2007...
.

Election of MEPs


Since 1 January 2007 (when Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU), there have been 785 MEPs, due to fall back to 736 at next elections in 2009. (Unless the Treaty of Lisbon comes into force by then, in which case there will be 751 MEPs, and each member state would have at least six and at most 96.) Elections occur once every five years, on the basis of universal adult suffrage
Universal suffrage

Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the Suffrage to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and noncitizens....
. There is no uniform voting system
Voting system

A voting system allows voters to choose between options, often in an election where candidates are selected for public administration. Voting can be also used to award prizes, to select between different plans of action, or by a computer program to find a solution to a problem....
 for the election of MEPs; rather, each member state is free to choose its own system, subject to three restrictions:
  • The system must be a form of proportional representation
    Proportional representation

    Proportional representation , sometimes referred to as full representation, is a category of voting systems aimed at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive ....
    , under either the party list
    Party-list proportional representation

    Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in multiple-winner elections ....
     or Single Transferable Vote
    Single transferable vote

    The Single transferable vote is a voting system of preferential voting designed to minimize wasted votes and provide proportional representation while ensuring that votes are explicitly expressed for individual candidates rather than for party lists....
     system.
  • The electoral area may be subdivided if this will not generally affect the proportional nature of the voting system.
  • Any election threshold
    Election threshold

    In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to get any seats in the parliament....
     on the national level must not exceed five percent.


The allocation of seats to each member state is based on the principle of degressive proportionality, so that, while the size of the population of each country is taken into account, smaller states elect more MEPs than would be strictly justified by their populations alone. As the number of MEPs granted to each country has arisen from treaty negotiations, there is no precise formula for the apportionment of seats among member states. No change in this configuration can occur without the unanimous consent of all governments.

The most recent elections to the European Parliament were the European elections of 2004
European Parliament election, 2004

Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom....
, held in June of that year. They were the largest simultaneous transnational elections ever held anywhere in the world, since nearly 400 million citizens were eligible to vote.

Length of Service

The European Parliament has a high turnover of members compared to some national parliaments. For instance, after the 2004 elections, the majority of elected members had not been members in the prior parliamentary session, though that could largely be put down to the recent enlargement. Only four of them (Pottering, Friedrich, Wurtz, & Bonde) have served continuously since the first elections in 1979.

MEPs within the Parliament


All but 14 MEPs are members of cross-nationality political groups, organised according to political allegiance. For instance, the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
's Labour
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....
 MEPs are members of the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists

The Party of European Socialists is a European political party comprising of thirty-three Socialism, Social democracy and labour movement parties from each European Union member state and other European nations such as Norway....
, and all Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
 MEPs (except two who have been expelled: (Roger Helmer
Roger Helmer

Roger Helmer is a United Kingdom politician and a Conservative Party Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands regions of England....
 and Dan Hannan)) are members of the European People's Party - European Democrats.

However, Group discipline is laxer than most national parliaments, with national delegations and individual members sometimes voting against the Group 'line' on particular issues. Furthermore, the position taken by a Group on any given issue is determined by discussion within the Group, not handed down by the party leadership. Individual 'back-bench' MEPs do therefore have considerable influence over the development of policy within the Parliament.

Aside from Group politics, individual members are also guaranteed a number of other powers and rights within the Parliament:
  • the right to table a motion for resolution;
  • the right to put questions to the leaders of the Parliament, the Council of Ministers
    Council of the European Union

    The Council of the European Union is the principal Institutions of the European Union in the European Union . It is often informally called the Council of Ministers or just the Council, the name used in the Treaties of the European Union; it is also called Consilium as a Latin-language compromise....
     and the Commission
    European Commission

    The European Commission is the executive of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Treaties of the European Union and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
    ;
  • the right to table an amendment to any text in committee;
  • the right to make explanations of vote;
  • the right to raise points of order;
  • the right to move the inadmissibility of a matter.

The job of an MEP

Being an MEP is a full-time job. One week in each month is taken up with the Parliament's session in Strasbourg
Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace Regions of France in northeastern France. With 702,412 inhabitants in 2007, its metropolitan area is the Aire urbaine....
, and much of the remaining three weeks by committee, Group, or Parliament sessions in Brussels
Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium....
.

On top of all this is the need to keep in touch with constituents at home. The problems of having to travel frequently between Parliament and constituency, familiar to most national MPs, are compounded in the case of MEPs because the distances are usually larger. Parliamentary affairs leave only a couple of days each week for MEPs to spend time in their constituencies, during which time they must deal with individual constituents, local organisations, local and national politicians, businesses, trade union
Trade union

A trade union or labor union is an organization run by and for workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions....
s, and so on. Because of these pressures, many MEPs have a substantial staff to help them to respond.

Some MEPs choose to make their family home in or near Brussels rather than in their home country, to avoid family obligations competing with other pressures in the limited time that members are able to spend in their constituency.

Because MEPs sit in a Parliament with powers over fewer subjects than national parliaments, their public profile in their home country is typically lower than that of national parliamentarians, at least those of the latter who are ministers or opposition spokesmen.

Powers


The adoption of most (but not all - an anomaly that will be rectified if the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon

The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon, February 13, 1668, by the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized Portuguese independence....
 comes into force) EU legislation requires the approval of both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. Under the co-decision procedure, they each have up to three readings of legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission
European Commission

The European Commission is the executive of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Treaties of the European Union and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
 in which they can each amend the proposal, but must ultimately approve a text in identical terms for it to be passed. This amounts to bicameralism
Bicameralism

In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
.

MEPs also elect the President of the Commission, on the basis of a proposal by thre European Council
European Council

The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It comprises the head of state head of government of the Union's European Union member state along with the President of the European Commission....
 and, following public hearings of the candidates, approve the appointment of the Commission as a whole. The Parliament may also dismiss the Commission in a vote of no-confidence. MEPs may table parliamentary questions for Question time or for a written answer.

International agreements entered into by the European Union (e.g. WTO, some trade agreements, etc) must be approved by the European Parliament, as must the accession of new Member States to the Union.

The EU's annual budget is adopted by Parliament, within ceilings for expenditure of different categories laid down jointly by Parliament and the Council of Ministers, and respecting the overall limit on EU spending decided on by unanimous agreement of all Member States.

The Parliament also elects the European Ombudsman and holds hearings with candidates for the European Central Bank.

Costs and Privileges


Salary

MEPs are paid exactly the same salary as a member of the lower House of their own national parliament. As a result, there is a wide range of salaries in the European Parliament. In 2002, Italian MEPs earned €130,000, while Spanish MEPs earned barely a quarter of that at €32,000.

However, in July 2005 the Council agreed to a single statute for all MEPs, following a proposal by the Parliament. Thus, from the first day of the parliamentary term starting in 2009, all MEPs will receive a basic monthly salary of 38.5% of a European Court judge's salary - around €7,000. This represents a pay-cut for MEPs from some countries (e.g. Italian, German, Austrian), a rise for others (particualarly the low-paid Eastern European Members) and status quo (depending on the exchange rate to the pound) for the British. The much-criticised expenses arrangements will also be reformed.

Expenses

Commentators in several member states (most notably Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
, Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 and the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
) have accused MEPs of taking advantage of generous expense allowances for personal profit. These criticisms typically centre on two areas:
  • the amount paid to MEPs as expenses; and
  • the manner in which it is paid.


With regard to the amount paid, these are roughly equivalent to those paid to British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 MP
Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators....
s. As of 2002:
  • British MPs received an allowance for travel around their constituencies, but MEPs did not, despite the fact that their constituencies were much larger.
  • British MPs were paid a lump sum of just under Ł19,500 for accommodation at seat of Parliament, regardless of the time they actually spent there. MEPs received Ł150 per day attended and were required to sign in to prove attendance.
  • Both British MPs and MEPs were paid travel expenses for journeys from constituencies to Parliament. Contrary to widespread rumours, MEPs received 'YY economy class' air fares paid, not first class, plus an allowance per kilometre for the trip from their home to the airport. Only one journey was allowed per week.
  • British MPs were given first class rail
    First class travel

    First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities....
     tickets for spouse and children to Westminster up to thirty times per year. MEPs had no such allowance.
  • British MPs were given two return tickets per year to any EU parliament or the European Parliament itself. MEPs had no such allowance.
  • British MPs received unlimited travel expenses around the UK on parliamentary business. MEPs were given a similar allowance, but this was limited to Ł2,170 per year, plus an extra allowance if they needed to return home midweek.
  • British MPs and MEPs both received an office allowance. MEPs were paid 44% more than MPs, but this had to include postage and all equipment, whereas MPs also received unlimited free postage and free computers.
  • British MPs and MEPs both had a staff allowance. MEPs received 30% more than MPs, but their staffs are typically larger, and this amount had to cover staff pensions, temporary replacements for illness, redundancy costs at end of mandate, staff travel, insurance, administration, and employer's liability. MPs had those provided for free on top of their allowance.
  • At the end of their mandates, British MPs received four months of office allowances, while MEPs received three.
  • At the end of their mandates, MEPs get a golden medal, and during their mandate their train travels (TGV excluded) in Belgium are for free.
With regard to the manner in which it is paid, complaints are often raised about the fact that MEPs' flights to and from Brussels are paid at a flat rate, regardless of the expenditure actually incurred. The price paid is for economy travel, not first-class , but nevertheless this value often amounts to more than the actual price of travel, even if there are no "budget" airlines serving Brussels.

Another area of concern is the fact that MEPs' accounts are currently audited on a spot-check basis, not a universal one. Feeling this to be insufficient, some members voluntarily submit their accounts for a full independent audit annually. All UK Labour MEPs have done so since 2000, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats since 2008.

Reform of salary and expenses

Parliament repeatedly expressed a will to reform its salary and expenses package. After various failed attempts, agreement with the Council was finally achieved in July 2005. The new arrangements will apply with the convening of the new Parliament following the elections scheduled in June 2009.

In 2008 a reporter named Thomas Meier was thrown out of the EU parliament by security. His offence was filming Euro MP’s lining up at 7.45 am on a Friday to claim their daily attendance allowance, before leaving for the weekend. This upset some members who pointed out that the requirement to sign in the morning (a stricter requirement than in national parliaments) is to prove that an extra night's accommodation was needed in Strasbourg.

Financial interests

Members declare their financial interests, which are published annually in a register and available on the Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
.

Immunities

Under the protocol on the privileges and immunities of the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
, MEPs in their home country receive the same immunities as their own national parliamentarians. In other member states, MEPs are immune from detention and from legal proceedings, except when caught in the act of committing an offence. This immunity may be waived by application to the European Parliament by the authorities of the country in question.

Individual members


Members' experience

Around a third of MEPs have previously held national parliamentary mandates, and over 10% have ministerial experience at a national level. Among the 177 MEPs with such experience elected in 1999 were six prime minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
s and three former members of the European Commission
European Commission

The European Commission is the executive of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Treaties of the European Union and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. Many more MEPs have held office at a regional level in their home countries.

Current MEPs also include former judge
Judge

A judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead official who presides over a court of law,which is operated by the local, state, and/or federal government....
s, trade union
Trade union

A trade union or labor union is an organization run by and for workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions....
 leaders, media personalities, actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
s, soldier
Soldier

A soldier is a general English term that refers to a land component of national armed forces.In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including Commissioned officer and non-commissioned officers....
s, singers, athletes, and political activists.

Many outgoing MEPs move into other political office. A remarkably high proportion of European countries' recent heads of government have previously served in the Parliament.

Dual mandates


The so-called "dual mandate"—in which an individual is a member of both his or her national parliament and the European Parliament
European Parliament

The European Parliament is the only direct election parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral Institutions of the European Union#Legislature of the Institutions of the European Union and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world....
, was officially discouraged by a growing number of political parties and Member States, and will now been prohibited as of 2009. Still, a small and dwindling number of members did hold a dual mandate, such as MEPs Baroness Ludford
Sarah Ludford, Baroness Ludford

Sarah Ann Ludford, Baroness Ludford is a Liberal Democrats member of the House of Lords and Member of the European Parliament.She was made a Life peer as Baroness Ludford, of Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington in 1997....
 and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne
Emma Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne

Emma Harriet Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne is a British politician. She is a life peer and a member of the House of Lords, and also is a Member of the European Parliament for South East England....
 (both UK Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Lib Dem, are a Liberalism political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party ; the two parties had been SDP-Liberal Alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of the SDP....
 who also sit in the House of Lords
House of Lords

The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". The Parliament comprises the British monarchy, the British House of Commons , and the Lords....
). Notably, Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley

Ian Richard Kyle Paisley , styled The Rt Hon. The Revd Ian Paisley and also known as Dr Ian Paisley, is a veteran politician and church minister in Northern Ireland....
 and John Hume
John Hume

John Hume is a former politician in Northern Ireland, founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble, Baron Trimble....
 once held "triple mandates" as MEP, MP
Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators....
 in the House of Commons
British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the British monarchy and the House of Lords ....
, and MLA
Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly

The Northern Ireland Assembly elected in November 2003, never met as such, since Northern Ireland's devolved government and representative institutions were suspended following the re-introduction of direct rule by the United Kingdom government on 14 October 2002....
 in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly

The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolution legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly Reserved matters to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive....
 simultaneously.

Diversity

The proportion of MEPs elected in 2004 who were female was 30.2 percent (in 1979 it was just 16.5 percent), a higher percentage than most national parliaments. This figure varies considerably among the various national delegations, however. Of UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 members, for instance, approaching half of the Labour
Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Left-wing politics in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently organised again....
 MEPs are female, compared to only one Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom....
 member.

The oldest member is Giovanni Berlinguer
Giovanni Berlinguer

Giovanni Berlinguer , Italian orders of merit , is an Italy politician and Professor of Social medicine.He was born in Sassari, Sardinia, the son of Mario Berlinguer....
, born in 1924; the former communist was present at the signing of the Treaty of Rome
Treaty of Rome

The Treaties of Rome are two of the treaties of the European Union signed on March 25 1957. Both treaties were signed by Inner Six: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany....
 in 1957. The youngest is Dimitar Stoyanov
Dimitar Stoyanov (politician)

Dimitar Kinov Stoyanov is a Bulgarian and EU politician. He was born in Sofia. His father is Kin Stoyanov, a son of the prominent writer and dissident Radoy Ralin, and his mother is journalist Kapka Georgieva....
, born in 1983, who joined the parliament in 2007.

There are numerous notable figures in the Parliament, for example;
  • Vladimír Remek
    Vladimír Remek

    Vladim?r Remek is the first Czechoslovakia in space , and the first cosmonaut from a country other than the Soviet space program or the NASA. As of 2004, with the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union Vladim?r Remek is considered to be the first European Astronaut....
    , the first man in space not from the United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
     or the Soviet Union
    Soviet Union

    The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
    .
  • Jean-Marie Le Pen
    Jean-Marie Le Pen

    Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French nationalist politician who is founder and president of the National Front party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, including in French presidential election, 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than the main left-wing candidate, Lionel Jospin...
    , far-right French politician, came second in the 2002 French presidential election
    French presidential election, 2002

    The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002....
    .
  • Michel Rocard
    Michel Rocard

    Michel Rocard is a French politician, member of the Socialist Party . He served as Prime Minister of France under Fran?ois Mitterrand from 1988 to 1991, during which he created the Revenu minimum d'insertion , a social minimum welfare program for indigents, and led the Matignon Agreements regarding the status of New Caledonia....
    , former Prime Minister of France (1988-1991)
    Prime Minister of France

    The Prime Minister of France in French Fifth Republic is the functional head of the government and French government ministers of France. The head of state in France is the President of the French Republic....
    .
  • Alessandra Mussolini
    Alessandra Mussolini

    Alessandra Mussolini is an Italy conservative politician, the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini, and previously an actress and Model . She is the leader and founder of the national conservatism political party Social Action; since 2003 Mussolini has also been a Member of the European Parliament....
    , granddaughter of Italian fascist
    Fascism

    Fascism is a Political radicalism, Authoritarianism Nationalism ideology that aims to create a single-party state with a government led by a dictator who seeks national unity and development by requiring individuals to subordinate self-interest to the collective interest of the nation or Race ....
     World War II
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
     dictator
    Duce

    Duce is an Italian language word meaning leader or the second, derived from Latin word dux of the same meaning, of which Duke is a derivation....
     Benito Mussolini
    Benito Mussolini

    Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini, Order of the Bath Sovereign Military Order of Malta Order of the Tower and Sword was an Italy politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
    .
  • Michael Cashman
    Michael Cashman

    Michael Cashman is a former United Kingdom actor, now a Labour Party politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999....
    , former British actor (EastEnders
    EastEnders

    EastEnders is a popular and award-winning television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985. It currently ranks within the top of the most watched shows in the United Kingdom....
    ) and gay rights campaigner.
  • Lívia Járóka
    Lívia Járóka

    L?via J?r?ka is a Hungarian politician of Roma people ethnicity and the second Member of the European Parliament , having been elected as part of the Fidesz list in Hungary in June 2004....
    , first eastern European (first was from Spain) Roma MEP; soon came a second, minority rights campaigner Viktória Mohácsi
    Viktória Mohácsi

    Vikt?ria Moh?csi is a Hungary politician of Roma people ethnicity, and Member of the European Parliament for the Alliance of Free Democrats, part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party)....
    .
  • Ari Vatanen
    Ari Vatanen

    Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finland rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times....
    , Champion Rally driver, elected by a French constituency, rather than his native Finland.
  • Peter Štastný, Slovak
    Slovakia

    Slovakia . It was amended in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president and again in February 2001 due to EU admission requirements....
     professional ice hockey
    Ice hockey

    Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team sport played on ice. It is a fast paced and physical sport. Ice hockey is most popular in areas that are sufficiently cold for natural reliable seasonal ice cover such as Canada, the northern United States, Scandinavia and Russia, though with the advent of indoor artificial ice r...
     player.
  • Robert Kilroy-Silk
    Robert Kilroy-Silk

    Robert Michael Kilroy-Silk is an England politician, independent Member of the European Parliament and a television presenter, best known for his daytime talk show Kilroy ....
    , former chat show host maverick who was fired from the BBC.
  • Giovanni Rivera
    Gianni Rivera

    Giovanni Rivera is an Italy former Association football Midfielder who was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969....
    , a former Italian
    Italy

    Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
     football player and European Footballer of the Year
    European Footballer of the Year

    The "", often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, is an annual association football award. It is presented to the player who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year....
     in 1969.
  • László Tokés
    László Tokés

    L?szl? Tok?s is an Hungarian minority in Romania politician in Romania, bishop of the Reformed Church in Romania Reformed Bishop of Piatra Craiului , Transylvania, Romania....
    , an ethnic Hungarian
    Hungarian people

    Hungarians are an ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. There are around 10 million Magyars in Hungary . Hungarians were the main inhabitants of the Kingdom of Hungary that existed through most of the second millennium....
     pastor in Romania
    Romania

    Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
     who played an important role in the Romanian Revolution of 1989
    Romanian Revolution of 1989

    The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of increasingly violent riots and fighting in late December 1989 that overthrew the Government of Nicolae Ceausescu....
    .
  • Daniel Cohn-Bendit
    Daniel Cohn-Bendit

    Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit is a France-Germany politician and was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France. He was also known during that time as Dany le Rouge ....
    , 1968 French student leader
  • Krzysztof Holowczyc
    Krzysztof Holowczyc

    Krzysztof Holowczyc is a Poland rally driver.He won the Polish Rally Championship in 1995, 1996, 1999 and the European Rally Championship in 1997....
    , Polish Rally driver
  • Jean-Luc Dehaene
    Jean-Luc Dehaene

    is a Belgium politician.He was born in Montpellier, France, when his parents were fleeing Germany troops. He got into politics through the Algemeen Christelijk Werknemersverbond , a trade union which was closely linked to the Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams ....
    , former Prime Minister of Belgium
  • Vytautas Landsbergis
    Vytautas Landsbergis

    Professor Vytautas Landsbergis is a Lithuanian conservative politician and Member of the European Parliament of the European Parliament. He was the first head of state of Lithuania after Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania from the Soviet Union, and served as the Head of the Lithuanian Parliament Seimas....
    , former Prime Minister of Lithuania
  • Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
    Poul Nyrup Rasmussen

    Poul Nyrup Rasmussen , informally Poul Nyrup , born June 15, 1943), was Prime Minister of Denmark from January 25, 1993 to November 27, 2001 and is currently a Member of the European Parliament and President of the Party of European Socialists ....
    , former Prime Minister of Denmark
  • Jerzy Busek,former Prime Minister of Poland
  • Guntars Krats, former Prime Minister of Latvia
  • Alojz Peterle, former Prime Minister of Slovenia
  • Anneli Jäätteenmaki, former Prime Minister of Finland
  • Philippe Morillon
    Philippe Morillon

    Philippe Morillon is a former France general and a currently a Member of the European Parliament. He was elected on the Union for French Democracy ticket and sits with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group....
    , former Commander of UNPROFOR peace keeping force in Bosnia
  • Theodor Stolojan
    Theodor Stolojan

    Theodor Dumitru Stolojan is a Romanian politician. An economist by training, he is a leader of the Democratic-Liberal Party. He previously served as Prime ministers of Romania of Romania from September 1991 to November 1992....
    , former Prime Minister of Romania


Former members;

  • Maurice Duverger
    Maurice Duverger

    Maurice Duverger is a French jurist, sociologist and politician.Starting his career as a jurist at the University of Bordeaux, Duverger became more and more involved in political science and in 1948 founded one of the first faculties for political science in Bordeaux, France....
    , French political scientist.
  • Otto von Habsburg
    Otto von Habsburg

    Otto von Habsburg has been the head of the House of Habsburg since 1922. He is the eldest son of Charles I of Austria, the last Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary,Croatia and Bohemia, and his wife, Zita of Bourbon-Parma....
    , current head of the Habsburg
    Habsburg

    The House of Habsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known as supplying all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of Spanish Empire and the Austrian Empire....
     dynasty.
  • Ian Paisley
    Ian Paisley

    Ian Richard Kyle Paisley , styled The Rt Hon. The Revd Ian Paisley and also known as Dr Ian Paisley, is a veteran politician and church minister in Northern Ireland....
    , leading politician of Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland

    conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
    , a member from 1979 to 2004 with a "triple mandate" as MEP, MP
    Parliament of the United Kingdom

    The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislature in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories....
    , and MLA
    Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly

    The Northern Ireland Assembly elected in November 2003, never met as such, since Northern Ireland's devolved government and representative institutions were suspended following the re-introduction of direct rule by the United Kingdom government on 14 October 2002....
    .
  • John Hume
    John Hume

    John Hume is a former politician in Northern Ireland, founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble, Baron Trimble....
    , another leading Northern Irish politician and Nobel Peace Prize
    Nobel Peace Prize

    The Nobel Peace Prize is one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. According to Nobel's will , the Peace Prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for :wikt:fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the h...
     laureate, similarly having held a "triple mandate".
  • Jacques Delors
    Jacques Delors

    Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the only person to have served two terms as President of the European Commission ....
    , later President of the Commission
  • Massimo D'Alema
    Massimo D'Alema

    Massimo D'Alema is an Italy politician. He is also a journalist and a former national secretary of the Democratic Party of the Left . He was Prime Minister of Italy from 1998 to 2000, and later he was Deputy Prime Minister and Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2008....
    , former Prime Minister of Italy
    Prime minister of Italy

    In Italy, the Prime Minister of Italy is the country's head of government. According to the formal Italian order of precedence, the position of prime minister is ceremonially the fourth most important Italian state offices; however, in reality, the prime minister is the most powerful and thus truly most important person in the Italian govern...
    .
  • Dana Rosemary Scallon
    Dana Rosemary Scallon

    Dana Rosemary Scallon is better known simply as Dana, an Irish people and former politician. Her career began when, as an Advanced Level student, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 with "All Kinds of Everything", a subsequent worldwide million-seller....
    , 1970 Eurovision Song Contest
    Eurovision Song Contest

    The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition....
     winner
  • Lilli Gruber
    Lilli Gruber

    Dietlinde Gruber , known as Lilli Gruber, is an Italy politician and journalist from the province of Bolzano-Bozen. Currently she serves as Member of the European Parliament....
    , high-profile television journalist who joined politics to oppose Silvio Berlusconi
    Silvio Berlusconi

    is an Politics of Italy, entrepreneur, real estate and insurance tycoon, bank and media proprietor, sports team owner and songwriter. He is the second longest-serving Prime Minister of Italy , a position he has held on three separate occasions: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006 and currently since 2008....
    's high degree of media control.
  • Willy Brandt
    Willy Brandt

    Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a Germany politician, Chancellor of Germany of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
    , former German Chancellor
  • Nicholas Sarkozy, President of France
  • John Prescott
    John Prescott

    John Leslie Prescott is a United Kingdom Labour Party politician, former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Secretary of State and current Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kingston upon Hull East ....
    , deputy Prime Minister of the UK
  • Geoff Hoon
    Geoff Hoon

    Geoffrey 'Geoff' William Hoon is a United Kingdom politician. He is Labour Party Member of Parliament for Ashfield , as well as former Labour Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury....
    , Transport Secretary (and former Defence Secretary during Iraq war) of the UK
  • Gijs de Vries
    Gijs de Vries

    Gijs de Vries is a Netherlands People's Party for Freedom and Democracy politician. He was deputy Interior Minister between 1998 and 2002, and was the European Union Terrorism co-ordinator from 25 March 2004 to March 2007....
    , Former European Anti-Terrorism Coordinator
  • Valery Giscard d'Estaing
    Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

    Val?ry Marie Ren? Georges Giscard d'Estaing,Constitutional Council of France , is a France centrism-conservatism politician who was President of France of the French Fifth Republic from 1974 until 1981....
    , former President of France
  • Jaques Chirac, later President of France
  • Francois Mitterrand
    François Mitterrand

    Fran?ois Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, elected as representative of the French Socialist Party ....
    , later President of France
  • Giulio Andreotti
    Giulio Andreotti

    Giulio Andreotti is an Italy politician of the centrist Christian Democracy party who served as Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979, and from 1989 to 1992....
    , former Prime Minister of Italy
  • Silvio Berlusconi
    Silvio Berlusconi

    is an Politics of Italy, entrepreneur, real estate and insurance tycoon, bank and media proprietor, sports team owner and songwriter. He is the second longest-serving Prime Minister of Italy , a position he has held on three separate occasions: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006 and currently since 2008....
    , later Prime Minister of Italy
  • Giorgio Napolitano
    Giorgio Napolitano

    Giorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician and former lifetime Italian Senate, the eleventh and current President of the Italian Republic. His Italian presidential election, 2006 took place on May 10 2006, and his term started with the swearing-in ceremony held on May 15 2006....
    , later President of Italy
  • Mario Soares
    Mário Soares

    M?rio Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, Order of the Tower and Sword, Order of Christ , Order of Liberty, Order of the Elephant , Portugal politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996....
    , former Prime Minister and President of Portugal
  • Wilfried Martens and Leo Tindemans, former Prime Ministers of Belgium
  • Emilio Colombo
    Emilio Colombo

    Emilio Colombo is an Italy diplomat and politician. In addition to having held top positions in Italian governments, he was also active in European politics....
    , former Prime Minister of Italy
  • Laurent Fabius
    Laurent Fabius

    Laurent Fabius is a former French Socialist Party List of Prime Ministers of France. He led the government from 17 July 1984 to 20 March 1986. He was 37 years old when he was appointed and is, so far, the youngest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic....
    , former Prime Minister of France
  • Toomas Ilves, later President of Estonia
  • Anna Palacio, later Foreign Minister of Spain
  • Nick Clegg
    Nick Clegg

    Nicholas William Peter Clegg , known as Nick Clegg, is the United Kingdom Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam and, since 18 December 2007, leader of the Liberal Democrats....
    , later leader of the UK Liberal Democrats


Observers

It is conventional for countries acceding to the European Union to send a number of observers to Parliament in advance. The number of observers and their method of appointment (usually by national parliaments) is laid down in the joining countries' Treaties of Accession.

Observers may attend debates and take part by invitation, but they may not vote or exercise other official duties. When the countries then become full member states, these observers become full MEPs for the interim period between accession and the next European elections. From 26 September 2005 to 31 December 2006, Bulgaria
Bulgaria

The state of Bulgaria , Scientific transliteration Balgarija, officially the Republic of Bulgaria has played a significant role in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe for over fourteen centuries....
 had 18 observers in Parliament and Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
 35. These were selected from government and opposition parties as agreed by the countries' national parliaments. Following accession on 1 January 2007, the observers became MEPs (with some personnel changes).

An upcoming European Parliament report is expected to recommend that North Cypriots
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , commonly called Northern Cyprus , is a de facto independent republic located in the north of Cyprus....
 be allowed to send observers to the Parliament in a speaking, but non-voting, capacity to represent Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots

Turkish Cypriots are the Turkish people inhabitants of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is sometimes used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, as opposed to the Turkish migrants who have settled there since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus....
 in an effort to open dialogue and ease their isolation. This could also involve making Turkish
Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Cyprus, with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and other parts of Eastern Europe....
 an official language. This is opposed by the European People's Party–European Democrats
European People's Party–European Democrats

The European People's Party and European Democrats is the current centre-right Political groups of the European Parliament, comprising the European People's Party and the non-party subgroup European Democrats....
 (EPP-ED) however and has not been made an official proposal yet. Currently Cyprus is allocated MEPs based upon the population of the whole of the island, but only Greek Cypriots sit in Parliament.

See also

Category:Members of the European Parliament
  • The European Parliament (seventh edition, 2007), by Richard Corbett
    Richard Corbett

    Richard Corbett is a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party for Yorkshire and the Humber. He has been a member of the European Parliament since 1996....
    , Francis Jacobs and Michael Shackleton.


External links

  • European Navigator