The European elections taking place from 6 to 9 June come at a critical juncture for the European Union (EU). The legislature that is now drawing to a close was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the fallout of these two events, like a fragmentation of the global economy and increased power rivalries. The next term will see the EU preparing for future enlargement to new member states and attempting to reform itself, while trying to address global challenges, including the most consequential of them - climate change.
Ahead of the vote, European political parties published their manifestos, they lay out their vision and ambitions for the EU. In this compendium, EPC analysts examine the positions on thirteen issues of the main parties represented in the European Parliament – except the parties from the Identity and Democracy group (ID), which did not publish a manifesto. Their contributions look at the differences but also the convergences between the parties. In addition, an analysis based on data examines the evolution of the parties’ priorities and focus between the last elections in 2019 and this year and puts on a broader perspective the analysis of the manifestos.
This compendium will contribute to informing EU citizens’ votes and anticipating the political dynamics, and ultimately the decisions, of the next Parliament. This is particularly important as conservative, nationalist, and far-right parties are expected to gain a significant share of seats, and the future direction of the EU will partly depend on whether mainstream parties cooperate with them or not.
Read the full paper here.