Apportionment in the European Parliament

Allocation of legislative seats to EU member countries

This article is part of a series on

Politics of the European Union

Member states (27)

*  Austria
*  Belgium
*  Bulgaria
*  Croatia
*  Cyprus
*  Czech Republic
*  Denmark
*  Estonia
*  Finland
*  France
*  Germany
*  Greece
*  Hungary
*  Ireland
*  Italy
*  Latvia
*  Lithuania
*  Luxembourg
*  Malta
*  Netherlands
*  Poland
*  Portugal
*  Romania
*  Slovakia
*  Slovenia
*  Spain
*  Sweden

* * *

Candidate countries

* Albania
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Georgia
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* North Macedonia
* Serbia
* Ukraine

* * *

Countries with suspended accession negotiations

* Turkey

* * *

Applicant countries

* Kosovo

* * *

States not on the agenda

* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Iceland
* Kazakhstan
* Norway
* Russia
* Switzerland
* United Kingdom

* * *

Microstates and the European Union

* Andorra
* Liechtenstein
* Monaco
* San Marino
* Vatican City

* * *

* Special territories
* EU 3 (EU founding states)
* Enlargement of the European Union
* Withdrawal from the European Union

* * *

Treaties and Declarations

* Schuman Declaration (1950)
* Treaty of Paris (1951)
* Europe Declaration (1951)
* Spaak Report (1956)
* Treaty of Rome (1957)
* Euratom Treaty (1957)
* Merger Treaty (1965)
* Solemn Declaration (1983)
* Single European Act (1986)
* Maastricht Treaty (1992)
* Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
* Treaty of Nice (2001)
* Berlin Declaration (2007)
* Treaty of Lisbon (2007)
* Article 7
* Article 50

* * *

Opt-outs

* * *

Treaties of accession

1972, 1979, 1985, 1994, 2003, 2005, 2011

* * *

Treaties of withdrawal

1984, 2020

* * *

Other treaties

* Schengen Agreement (1985)
* European Economic Area Agreement (1992)

* * *

Abandoned treaties and agreements

* European Constitution (2004)
* UK membership renegotiation (2015–2016)

Executive institutions

European Council

* President: Costa (PES)
* Parties
* List of meetings

* * *

European Commission

* Von der Leyen Commission
* President: Von der Leyen (EPP)
* Vice Presidents
* College of Commissioners
* Civil Service
* Secretary-General:  Juhansone

Legislative institutions

* Legislative procedure

* * *

Council of the EU

Presidency

Denmark

(July–December 2025)

* * *

Configurations

* GAC
* FAC
* ECOFIN
* Eurogroup
* AGRIFISH
* EPSCO
* COMPET
* TTE
* ENVI
* JHA
* EYC

* * *

* Voting
* Secretariat
* Secretary-General: Thérèse Blanchet
* Directorates-general
* Council preparatory bodies
* COREPER
* Council Working Parties

* * *

European Parliament
(Members)

* President: Metsola
* Largest groups
* EPP (Manfred Weber)
* S&D (Iratxe García)
* Member of the European Parliament
* 10th session (2024–2029)
* Bureau
* Vice Presidents
* Quaestor
* Conference

* * *

National parliaments

Judicial institutions

Court of Justice of the EU

* European Court of Justice
* Members
* Advocates General
* Rulings
* General Court

Auditory institutions

European Court of Auditors

* European Court of Auditors

* * *

Other auditory bodies

* Internal Audit Service of the Commission
* Committee on Budgetary Control of the Parliament
* Economic and Financial Affairs configuration of the Council
* Anti-Fraud Office
* Public Prosecutor's Office

European Central Bank

* President Lagarde
* ESCB
* EMU
* Euro banknotes
* Euro coins

Other bodies

European Investment Bank Group

* Investment Bank
* Investment Fund
* EIB Institute

* * *

European Stability Mechanism

* European Stability Mechanism

* * *

European University Institute

* European University Institute

* * *

Unified Patent Court

* Unified Patent Court

* * *

Agencies, decentralised independent bodies and joint undertakings

* Decentralised agencies of the EU
* Single market agencies
* CFSP agencies
* AFSC agencies
* ESFS European Supervisory Authorities
* SRM bodies
* Executive agencies of the EU
* Euratom agencies
* Decentralised independent bodies of the EU
* European Institute of Innovation and Technology
* European Public Prosecutor's Office
* Corporate bodies of the EU
* European Data Protection Board
* Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations
* Joint undertakings
* of the EU
* of the Euratom

* * *

Other independent bodies

* European Data Protection Supervisor
* European Ombudsman

* * *

Advisory bodies

* European Committee of the Regions
* European Economic and Social Committee
* Political and Security Committee
* European Union Military Committee
* EU/ESA Space Council

* * *

Inter-institutional bodies

* Publications Office of the European Union
* European External Action Service
* European Personnel Selection Office
* Anti-Fraud Office
* European Administrative School

Euratom

Euratom members

*  Austria
*  Belgium
*  Bulgaria
*  Croatia
*  Cyprus
*  Czech Republic
*  Denmark
*  Estonia
*  Finland
*  France
*  Germany
*  Greece
*  Hungary
*  Ireland
*  Italy
*  Latvia
*  Lithuania
*  Luxembourg
*  Malta
*  Netherlands
*  Poland
*  Portugal
*  Romania
*  Slovakia
*  Slovenia
*  Spain
*  Sweden

* * *

Associated states

*  Switzerland
*  United Kingdom

* * *

* Nuclear power in the European Union

Euratom since 1 January 2021

Economic and Monetary Union

Eurozone members

* Austria
* Belgium
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Portugal
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain

* * *

Eurogroup

* President
* Paschal Donohoe

* * *

Other currencies in use

* Bulgarian lev
* Czech koruna
* Danish krone
* Hungarian forint
* Polish złoty
* Romanian leu
* Swedish krona

* * *

* ERM II
* Enlargement of the eurozone

* * *

Non Euro countries relationship to Euro

* Bulgaria
* Czechia
* Denmark
* Hungary
* Poland
* Sweden
* Romania

Eurozone since 2015

Schengen Area

*  Austria
*  Belgium
*  Bulgaria
*  Croatia
*  Czech Republic
*  Denmark
*  Estonia
*  Finland
*  France
*  Germany
*  Greece
*  Hungary
*  Italy
*  Latvia
*  Lithuania
*  Luxembourg
*  Malta
*  Netherlands
*  Poland
*  Portugal
*  Romania
*  Slovakia
*  Slovenia
*  Spain
*  Sweden

* * *

Non-EU members

*  Iceland
*  Liechtenstein
*  Norway
*  Switzerland

* * *

Non-Schengen area EU member states

*  Cyprus
*  Ireland (Opt-out)

* * *

* ETIAS
* Prüm Convention
* Schengen Information System
* Visa Information System
* Visa policy of the Schengen Area

Schengen Area from January 2023

European Economic Area

EEA members

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

* * *

Non-EU members

*  Iceland
*  Liechtenstein
*  Norway

* * *

Topics

* EEA Joint Committee
* EEA National Identity cards
* Microstates and the European Union

European Economic Area

Elections

* Elections to the European Parliament
* European parties
* European foundations
* Political groups of the European Parliament
* Spitzenkandidat
* Constituencies
* Apportionment
* Referendums related to the EU

* * *

European elections

* 1979
* 1984
* 1989
* 1994
* 1999
* 2004
* 2009
* 2014
* 2019
* 2024 (latest election)

* * *

Elections in EU member states

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden

Law

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Policies and issues

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* Institutional seats of the European Union
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* Enhanced cooperation

Foreign relations

High Representative

* Kaja Kallas

* * *

* Ext. Action Service
* Foreign Policy
* Defence Policy

* * *

Foreign relations of EU member states

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
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* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Slovakia
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* Sweden

* * *

* Argentina–European Union relations
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* Australia–European Union relations
* Brazil–European Union relations
* Canada–European Union relations
* China–European Union relations
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* Georgia–European Union relations
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* Switzerland–European Union relations
* Turkey–European Union relations
* Ukraine–European Union relations
* United Kingdom–European Union relations (History)
* Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union
* Brexit
* United States–European Union relations

* * *

* Common Travel Area (Ireland)
* Microstates and the European Union
* European Union and the United Nations
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* European Neighbourhood Policy
* Eastern Partnership
* Euronest Parliamentary Assembly

* * *

* G7
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Defunct bodies

* European Communities (1958–1993)

European Coal and Steel Community
European Economic Community
* European Community
* Western European Union
* Convention on the Future of Europe

European Union portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The apportionment of seats within the European Parliament to each member state of the European Union is set out by the EU treaties. According to European Union treaties, the distribution of seats is "degressively proportional" to the population of the member states, with negotiations and agreements between member states playing a role.[1] Thus the allocation of seats is not strictly proportional to the size of a state's population, nor does it reflect any other automatically triggered or fixed mathematical formula. The process can be compared to the composition of the electoral college used to elect the President of the United States of America in that, pro rata, the smaller state received more places in the electoral college than the more populous states.

After the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU in 2020, the number of MEPs, including the president, dropped to 705[2] but since the 2024 election, it increased to 720.[3] The maximum number allowed by the Lisbon Treaty is 751.

## Background

[edit]

When the Parliament was established in 1952 as the 78-member "Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community" the then-three smaller states (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) were concerned about being under-represented and hence they were granted more seats than their population would have allowed. Membership increased to 142 with the Assembly expanded to cover the Economic and Atomic Energy Communities.[4] It then grew further with each enlargement, which each time allowing smaller nations to have greater proportion of seats relative to larger states.

Relative influence of voters from different EU member states (2024–2029)[5]

Influence is proportional to seats-to-votes ratio and inversely proportional to Inhabitants to MEPs ratio.

Member state | Population  | MEPs | Inhabitants
per MEP  | Influence[6]

|
|
|
|

Austria | 9,104,772  | 20  | 455,239  | 1.37
Belgium | 11,754,004  | 22  | 534,273  | 1.17
Bulgaria | 6,447,710  | 17  | 379,277  | 1.64
Croatia | 3,850,894  | 12  | 320,908  | 1.94
Cyprus | 920,701  | 6  | 153,450  | 4.06
Czech Republic | 10,827,529  | 21  | 515,597  | 1.21
Denmark | 5,932,654  | 15  | 395,510  | 1.57
Estonia | 1,365,884  | 7  | 195,126  | 3.19
Finland | 5,563,970  | 15  | 370,931  | 1.68
France | 68,070,697  | 81  | 840,379  | 0.74
Germany | 84,358,845  | 96  | 878,738  | 0.71
Greece | 10,394,055  | 21  | 494,955  | 1.26
Hungary | 9,597,085  | 21  | 457,004  | 1.36
Ireland | 5,194,336  | 14  | 371,024  | 1.68
Italy | 58,850,717  | 76  | 774,352  | 0.80
Latvia | 1,883,008  | 9  | 209,223  | 2.98
Lithuania | 2,857,279  | 11  | 259,753  | 2.40
Luxembourg | 660,809  | 6  | 110,135  | 5.65
Malta | 542,051  | 6  | 90,342  | 6.89
Netherlands | 17,811,291  | 31  | 574,558  | 1.08
Poland | 36,753,736  | 53  | 693,467  | 0.90
Portugal | 10,476,366  | 21  | 498,446  | 1.25
Romania | 19,051,562  | 33  | 577,320  | 1.08
Slovakia | 5,428,792  | 15  | 361,919  | 1.72
Slovenia | 2,116,792  | 9  | 235,199  | 2.65
Spain | 48,059,777  | 61  | 787,865  | 0.79
Sweden | 10,521,556  | 21  | 501,026  | 1.24
European Union | 448,387,872  | 720  | 622,761  | 1.00

## Nice system (2003–2009)

[edit]

Number of seats plotted against the population of each state (Nice 2007)

The Nice Treaty provided for a maximum of 736 seats. In 2009, with about 500 million EU citizens, this meant that there were on average 670,000 citizens represented by each MEP. Some states divide the electorate for their allocated MEPs into sub-national constituencies. However, they may not be divided in such a way that the system would no longer be proportional.

The 2004 European Parliament election was the first conducted under the Nice Treaty, with 732 seats for the 25 member states.

The 2009 European Parliament election was conducted under the rules included in the Nice Treaty which provided for a maximum number of 736, although that figure had been breached on the accession of new members to the EU, these states being allowed parliamentary representation without a corresponding reduction in the number of MEPs allotted to other member states. This happened in 2007 on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, when the number of seats temporarily increased to 785. It subsequently returned to 736 in the 2009 election.[4]

## Lisbon system (2009–present)

[edit]

Under the Lisbon Treaty, which first applied to the 2014 European Parliament election, the cap on the number of seats was raised to 750, with a maximum of 96 and a minimum of 6 seats per state. They continue to be distributed "degressively proportional" to the populations of the EU's member states.[7]

European Parliament apportionment changes between the Treaty of Nice and the Treaty of Lisbon
(as calculated for purposes of the 2009 European elections) Member state  | 2007
Nice | 2009
Nice | 2014
Lisbon | 2014[i]
+ Croatia

|
|
|
|

Germany | 99  | 99  | 96  | 96
France | 78  | 72  | 74  | 74
United Kingdom[ii] | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73
Italy | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73
Spain | 54  | 50  | 54  | 54
Poland | 54  | 50  | 51  | 51
Romania | 35  | 33  | 33  | 32
Netherlands | 27  | 25  | 26  | 26
Belgium | 24  | 22  | 22  | 21
Czech Republic | 24  | 22  | 22  | 21
Greece | 24  | 22  | 22  | 21
Hungary | 24  | 22  | 22  | 21
Portugal | 24  | 22  | 22  | 21
Sweden | 19  | 18  | 20  | 20
Austria | 18  | 17  | 19  | 18
Bulgaria | 18  | 17  | 18  | 17
Finland | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13
Denmark | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13
Slovakia | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13
Croatia | –  | –  | –  | 11
Ireland | 13  | 12  | 12  | 11
Lithuania | 13  | 12  | 12  | 11
Latvia | 9  | 8  | 9  | 8
Slovenia | 7  | 7  | 8  | 8
Cyprus | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6
Estonia | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6
Luxembourg | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6
Malta | 5  | 5  | 6  | 6
Total: | 785 | 736 | 751[iii] | 751[iii]

Italicised countries are divided into sub-national constituencies, except France which changed to full-country voting in 2019.

1. ^ As proposed by European Parliament on 13 March 2013.[8]
2. ^ Included Gibraltar, but not any other BOT (including the SBAs), nor the Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom and Gibraltar left the European Union on 31 January 2020.
3. ^ a b The speaker is not counted officially, thus leaving 750 MEPs.

There was controversy over the fact that the population figures are based on residents, not citizens, resulting in countries with larger disenfranchised immigrant populations gaining more under Lisbon than those with smaller ones.[9] Italy would have been the greatest loser under the Lisbon system and sought the same number of MEPs as France and the United Kingdom. Italy raised the issue during treaty negotiations and succeeded in gaining one extra MEP (giving it the same as the UK) while the President of the European Parliament would not be counted as a lawmaker hence keeping the number of MEPs to the 750-seat limit.[10]

### 2011 amendment

[edit]

In 2011 an amendment, which came into force on 1 December, temporarily increased the Lisbon limit to 754.[11][12][13][14] This allowed member states who gained seats under Lisbon to take them before the 2014 election, while allowing Germany which lost seats under Lisbon to retain them until the 2014 election. This amendment, in effect, institutes a transitional manner of distributing MEPs to take account of the fact that the 2009 European Parliamentary elections took place under the rules contained in the Nice Treaty and not in the Lisbon Treaty. That result means that member state that are to gain seats in parliament under the Lisbon rules may take them, but that Germany which loses three seats under the Lisbon rules keeps those seats until the next elections, due in 2014.[15] As a result, Germany temporarily exceeds the maximum number of MEPs allocatable to a member state under the Lisbon Treaty by having 99 MEPs, three above the intended limit.

### 2013 amendment

[edit]

Following the accession of Croatia on 1 July 2013 with 12 extra seats, the apportionment was amended for the 2014 elections,[8] when 12 countries lost one seat (including Croatia itself).

### 2014 election

[edit]

Number of seats in EP 2014–2019 versus number of inhabitants, showing difference with proportionality.

From October 2008,[16] MEP Andrew Duff (ALDE, UK) has advocated within the European Parliament for a reform of EU electoral law for the 2014 elections, including the creation of a single constituency of 25 seats in which each European citizen would be entitled to vote on the basis of pan-European lists. He has been nominated rapporteur, as the European Parliament has the right of initiative in this field ruled by unanimity in the Council. After the 2009 election, Duff proposed a new version of his report,[17] which was adopted by the parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) in April 2011. However, the plenary session of the Parliament referred the report back to the AFCO committee in July 2011. A third version of the report[18] was published in September 2011 and adopted by the AFCO committee in January 2012, but was withdrawn before being discussed in plenary in March 2012 for fear that it would likely be turned down.

On 13 March 2013 the European Parliament voted a new proposal updating seat assignments per country for 2014,[8] taking into account demographic changes and bringing the total number of seats back to the nominal 751 enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty. The same document suggests the creation of a formal process "based on objective criteria to be applied in a pragmatic manner" for apportioning seats in future elections.

Apportionment in the European Parliament  Constituency  | 2007  | 2009  | Dec.

2011[19]

| 1 July
2013[20] | A. Duff's
1st prop.
for 2014[21][22] | A. Duff's 2nd prop.[23] | European
Council
Decision
2014[24] | Population
in 2013[25] | Population
per MEPs

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2014  | 2019  | 2024
Pan-European  | –  | –  | –  | –  | 25  | –  | –  | –  | –  | –  | –
Germany | 99  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 96  | 96  | 96  | 96  | 96  | 80,523,746  | 838,789
France | 78  | 72  | 74  | 74  | 83  | 79  | 83  | 83  | 74  | 65,633,194  | 886,935
United Kingdom | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73  | 80  | 76  | 79  | 80  | 73  | 63,896,071  | 875,289
Italy | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73  | 78  | 75  | 78  | 78  | 73  | 59,685,227  | 817,606
Spain | 54  | 50  | 54  | 54  | 61  | 58  | 61  | 61  | 54  | 46,704,308  | 864,895
Poland | 54  | 50  | 51  | 51  | 51  | 51  | 51  | 51  | 51  | 38,533,299  | 755,555
Romania | 35  | 33  | 33  | 33  | 31  | 31  | 31  | 31  | 32  | 20,020,074  | 625,627
Netherlands | 27  | 25  | 26  | 26  | 25  | 25  | 25  | 25  | 26  | 16,779,575  | 645,368
Belgium | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 18  | 20  | 19  | 19  | 21  | 11,161,642  | 531,507
Greece | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 19  | 20  | 19  | 19  | 21  | 11,062,508  | 526,786
Czech Republic | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 18  | 20  | 18  | 18  | 21  | 10,516,125  | 500,768
Portugal | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 18  | 20  | 18  | 18  | 21  | 10,487,289  | 499,395
Hungary | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 17  | 20  | 18  | 17  | 21  | 9,908,798  | 471,848
Sweden | 19  | 18  | 20  | 20  | 17  | 18  | 17  | 17  | 20  | 9,555,893  | 477,795
Austria | 18  | 17  | 19  | 19  | 16  | 17  | 16  | 16  | 18  | 8,451,860  | 469,548
Bulgaria | 18  | 17  | 18  | 18  | 15  | 16  | 14  | 14  | 17  | 7,284,552  | 428,503
Denmark | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 13  | 5,602,628  | 430,971
Finland | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 13  | 5,426,674  | 417,436
Slovakia | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 13  | 5,410,836  | 416,218
Ireland | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 11  | 11  | 11  | 11  | 11  | 4,591,087  | 417,372
Croatia | —  | —  | —  | 12  | 11  | 11  | 11  | 11  | 11  | 4,262,140  | 387,467
Lithuania | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 9  | 10  | 9  | 9  | 11  | 2,971,905  | 270,173
Slovenia | 7  | 7  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 2,058,821  | 257,353
Latvia | 9  | 8  | 9  | 9  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 2,023,825  | 252,978
Estonia | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 7  | 7  | 7  | 7  | 6  | 1,324,814  | 220,802
Cyprus | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 865,878  | 144,313
Luxembourg | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 537,039  | 89,507
Malta | 5  | 5  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 421,364  | 70,227
total  | 785  | 736  | 754  | 766  | 776  | 751  | 751  | 751  | 751  | 505,701,172  | 673,370

### 2019 election

[edit]

The EU needed to revise the apportionment of seats in time for the next European Parliament election, expected to be held in May 2019, when the United Kingdom's 73 MEPs may have vacated their seats following Brexit. In April 2017, a group of European lawmakers discussed what should be done about the vacated seats. One plan, supported by Enrico Letta, Gianni Pittella and Emmanuel Macron, was to replace the 73 seats with a pan-European constituency list. Other options which were considered include dropping the British seats without replacement and reassigning some or all of the existing seats from other countries to reduce inequality of representation.[26] A plan to reduce the number of seats to 705 was approved by the Parliament in February 2018. It involves redistributing 27 seats to under-represented members and reserving the remaining 46 for future EU expansions. A proposal by the Constitutional Affairs Committee to create a pan-member constituency was rejected by the Parliament at the same time.[27] The proposed redistribution did not occur due to the Brexit extension until 31 October, and the allocation used was the same as in 2014. After Brexit took legal effect, the seat distribution was decided by the European Council. Those countries which were allocated additional seats elected MEPs who only took office after Brexit had taken effect.

Apportionment in the European Parliament  Country  | 2007  | 2009  | Dec.

2011[28]

| July
2013  | 2014  | Proposals for 2019 after the
removal of UK seats[26][29] | Population

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Cambridge Compromise  | Decision
(Feb 2018)  | Change
from 2014  | 2017[30] | Thousands
per MEP
Minimizing
Gini[31] | Minimizing
malapportionment
Germany | 99  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 96  | 96  | 96  | 96  |  | 82,521,653  | 860
France | 78  | 72  | 74  | 74  | 74  | 79  | 96  | 79  |  +5  | 66,989,083  | 848
United Kingdom | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73  | 73  | –  | –  | –  |  -73  | –  | –
Italy | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73  | 73  | 73  | 89  | 76  |  +3  | 60,589,445  | 797
Spain | 54  | 50  | 54  | 54  | 54  | 57  | 70  | 59  |  +5  | 46,528,024  | 789
Poland | 54  | 50  | 51  | 51  | 51  | 47  | 58  | 52  |  +1  | 37,972,964  | 730
Romania | 35  | 33  | 33  | 33  | 32  | 27  | 33  | 33  |  +1  | 19,644,350  | 595
Netherlands | 27  | 25  | 26  | 26  | 26  | 24  | 29  | 29  |  +3  | 17,081,507  | 589
Belgium | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 18  | 21  | 21  |  | 11,351,727  | 541
Greece | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 17  | 20  | 21  |  | 10,768,193  | 513
Czech Republic | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 17  | 20  | 21  |  | 10,578,820  | 504
Hungary | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 16  | 19  | 21  |  | 9,797,561  | 467
Portugal | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 17  | 20  | 21  |  | 10,309,573  | 491
Sweden | 19  | 18  | 20  | 20  | 20  | 16  | 19  | 21  |  +1  | 9,995,153  | 476
Austria | 18  | 17  | 19  | 19  | 18  | 15  | 18  | 19  |  +1  | 8,772,865  | 462
Bulgaria | 18  | 17  | 18  | 18  | 17  | 13  | 15  | 17  |  | 7,101,859  | 418
Denmark | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 13  | 14  |  +1  | 5,748,769  | 411
Finland | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 13  | 14  |  +1  | 5,503,297  | 393
Slovakia | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 13  | 14  |  +1  | 5,435,343  | 388
Ireland | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 11  | 11  | 12  | 13  |  +2  | 4,784,383  | 368
Croatia | –  | –  | –  | 12  | 11  | 10  | 11  | 12  |  +1  | 4,154,213  | 346
Lithuania | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 11  | 9  | 9  | 11  |  | 2,847,904  | 259
Latvia | 9  | 8  | 9  | 9  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  |  | 1,950,116  | 244
Slovenia | 7  | 7  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8  |  | 2,065,895  | 258
Estonia | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 7  | 7  | 7  |  +1  | 1,315,635  | 188
Cyprus | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 7  | 6  |  | 854,802  | 142
Luxembourg | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  |  | 590,667  | 98
Malta | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  |  | 460,297  | 77
Total  | 785  | 736  | 754  | 766  | 751  | 639  | 736  | 705  |  –46  | 445,714,098[32] | 632

### 2024 election

[edit]

In February 2023, the AFCO committee of the European Parliament released a draft report (whose rapporteurs are Lóránt Vincze and Sandro Gozi) on the necessary changes to the composition of the European Parliament in order to respect the principle of degressive proportionality (enshrined in the TEU). The draft report suggested a new apportionnement which aimed at respecting the degressive proportionality while also resulting in no loss of seats for any Member State, therefore leading to an expansion in the number of MEPs, from 705 to 716.[33] On 12 June 2023, the report was approved by the AFCO committee, with the apportionment being unchanged compared to the draft report.[34] On 15 June 2023 the report was approved by the EP plenary.[35]

In July 2023, the European Council put forward its own proposed apportionment for the tenth European Parliament, which would add 15 new MEPs and thus take the number of seats from 705 to 720.[36] In this proposal, no Member State would lose any spots in the hemicycle and the countries gaining new seats would be as indicated in the table below under New allocation of seats (final decision for 2024).

On 15 September 2023, the European Parliament approved the apportionment proposed by the Council, with 515 votes in favor, 74 against and 44 abstentions.[3]

Furthermore, this decision envisages the future (before the 2029-2034 parliamentary term) definition of "an objective, fair, durable and transparent seat distribution method implementing the principle of degressive proportionality, without prejudice to the institutions’ prerogatives under the Treaties". [37][38]

Member state | Population (2023)  | MEPs | Ratio population/seats  | New allocation of seats (AFCO draft)  | Change from 2022 (AFCO draft)  | New ratio population/seats (AFCO draft)  | New allocation of seats (final decision for 2024)[37] | Change from 2022 (final decision for 2024)  | New ratio population/seats (final decision for 2024)

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Germany | 84,358,845  | 96  | 878,738  | 96  |  | 878,738  | 96  |  | 878,738
France | 68,070,697  | 79  | 858,767  | 79  |  | 861,654  | 81  |  +2  | 840,379
Italy | 58,850,717  | 76  | 774,352  | 76  |  | 774,352  | 76  |  | 774,352
Spain | 48,059,777  | 59  | 814,572  | 61  |  +2  | 787,865  | 61  |  +2  | 787,865
Poland | 36,753,736  | 52  | 706,803  | 52  |  | 706,803  | 53  |  +1  | 693,467
Romania | 19,051,562  | 33  | 577,320  | 33  |  | 577,320  | 33  |  | 577,320
Netherlands | 17,811,291  | 29  | 614,182  | 31  |  +2  | 574,558  | 31  |  +2  | 574,558
Belgium | 11,754,004  | 21  | 559,714  | 21  |  | 559,714  | 22  |  +1  | 534,273
Czech Republic | 10,827,529  | 21  | 515,597  | 21  |  | 515,597  | 21  |  | 515,597
Sweden | 10,521,556  | 21  | 501,026  | 21  |  | 501,026  | 21  |  | 501,026
Portugal | 10,467,366  | 21  | 498,446  | 21  |  | 498,446  | 21  |  | 498,446
Greece | 10,394,055  | 21  | 494,955  | 21  |  | 494,955  | 21  |  | 494,955
Hungary | 9,597,085  | 21  | 457,004  | 21  |  | 457,004  | 21  |  | 457,004
Austria | 9,104,772  | 19  | 479,199  | 20  |  +1  | 455,239  | 20  |  +1  | 455,239
Bulgaria | 6,447,710  | 17  | 379,277  | 17  |  | 379,277  | 17  |  | 379,277
Denmark | 5,932,654  | 14  | 423,761  | 15  |  +1  | 395,510  | 15  |  +1  | 395,510
Finland | 5,563,970  | 14  | 397,426  | 15  |  +1  | 370,931  | 15  |  +1  | 370,931
Slovakia | 5,428,792  | 14  | 387,771  | 15  |  +1  | 361,919  | 15  |  +1  | 361,919
Ireland | 5,194,336  | 13  | 399,564  | 14  |  +1  | 371,024  | 14  |  +1  | 371,024
Croatia | 3,850,894  | 12  | 320,908  | 12  |  | 320,908  | 12  |  | 320,908
Lithuania | 2,857,279  | 11  | 259,753  | 11  |  | 259,753  | 11  |  | 259,753
Slovenia | 2,116,792  | 8  | 264,599  | 9  |  +1  | 235,199  | 9  |  +1  | 235,199
Latvia | 1,883,008  | 8  | 235,376  | 9  |  +1  | 209,223  | 9  |  +1  | 209,223
Estonia | 1,365,884  | 7  | 195,126  | 7  |  | 195,126  | 7  |  | 195,126
Cyprus | 920,701  | 6  | 153,450  | 6  |  | 153,450  | 6  |  | 153,450
Luxembourg | 660,809  | 6  | 110,135  | 6  |  | 110,135  | 6  |  | 110,135
Malta | 542,051  | 6  | 90,342  | 6  |  | 90,342  | 6  |  | 90,342
European Union | 448,387,872  | 705  | 636,011  | 716  |  +11  | 626,240  | 720  |  +15  | 622,761

Degressive proportionality breached.

## Changes in membership

[edit]

State  | Joined
| Population
2006  | Population
2017  | Sep
1952 | Mar
1957 | Jan
1973 | Jun
1979 | Jan
1981 | Jan
1986 | Jun
1994 | Jan
1995 | May
2004 | Jun
2004 | Jan
2007 | Jun
2009 | Dec
2011 | Jul
2013 | Jun
2014 | Feb
2020

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Germany | 1951  | 82,428,000  | 82,521,653  | 18  | 36  | 36  | 81  | 81  | 81  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 99  | 96  | 96
France | 1951  | 62,886,000  | 66,989,083  | 18  | 36  | 36  | 81  | 81  | 81  | 87  | 87  | 87  | 78  | 78  | 72  | 74  | 74  | 74  | 79
United Kingdom | 1973  | 60,422,000  | 65,808,573  |   | 36  | 81  | 81  | 81  | 87  | 87  | 87  | 78  | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73  | 73  |
Italy | 1951  | 58,752,000  | 60,589,445  | 18  | 36  | 36  | 81  | 81  | 81  | 87  | 87  | 87  | 78  | 78  | 72  | 73  | 73  | 73  | 76
Spain | 1986  | 43,758,000  | 46,528,024  |   | 60  | 64  | 64  | 64  | 54  | 54  | 50  | 54  | 54  | 54  | 59
Poland | 2004  | 38,157,000  | 37,972,964  |   | 54  | 54  | 54  | 50  | 51  | 51  | 51  | 52
Romania | 2007  | 21,610,000  | 19,644,350  |   | 35  | 33  | 33  | 33  | 32  | 33
Netherlands | 1951  | 16,334,000  | 17,081,507  | 10  | 14  | 14  | 25  | 25  | 25  | 31  | 31  | 31  | 27  | 27  | 25  | 26  | 26  | 26  | 29
Belgium | 1951  | 10,511,000  | 11,351,727  | 10  | 14  | 14  | 24  | 24  | 24  | 25  | 25  | 25  | 24  | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 21
Greece | 1981  | 11,125,000  | 10,768,193  |   | 24  | 24  | 25  | 25  | 25  | 24  | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 21
Czech Republic | 2004  | 10,251,000  | 10,578,820  |   | 24  | 24  | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 21
Portugal | 1986  | 10,570,000  | 10,309,573  |   | 24  | 25  | 25  | 25  | 24  | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 21
Sweden | 1995  | 9,048,000  | 9,995,153  |   | 22  | 22  | 19  | 19  | 18  | 20  | 20  | 20  | 21
Hungary | 2004  | 10,077,000  | 9,797,561  |   | 24  | 24  | 24  | 22  | 22  | 22  | 21  | 21
Austria | 1995  | 8,266,000  | 8,772,865  |   | 21  | 21  | 18  | 18  | 17  | 19  | 19  | 18  | 19
Bulgaria | 2007  | 7,719,000  | 7,101,859  |   | 18  | 17  | 18  | 18  | 17  | 17
Denmark | 1973  | 5,428,000  | 5,748,769  |   | 10  | 16  | 16  | 16  | 16  | 16  | 16  | 14  | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 14
Finland | 1995  | 5,256,000  | 5,503,297  |   | 16  | 16  | 14  | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 14
Slovakia | 2004  | 5,389,000  | 5,435,343  |   | 14  | 14  | 14  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 13  | 14
Ireland | 1973  | 4,209,000  | 4,784,383  |   | 10  | 15  | 15  | 15  | 15  | 15  | 15  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 11  | 13
Croatia | 2013  | 4,443,000  | 4,154,213  |   | 12  | 11  | 12
Lithuania | 2004  | 3,403,000  | 2,847,904  |   | 13  | 13  | 13  | 12  | 12  | 12  | 11  | 11
Slovenia | 2004  | 2,003,000  | 2,065,895  |   | 7  | 7  | 7  | 7  | 8  | 8  | 8  | 8
Latvia | 2004  | 2,295,000  | 1,950,116  |   | 9  | 9  | 9  | 8  | 9  | 9  | 8  | 8
Estonia | 2004  | 1,344,000  | 1,315,635  |   | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 7
Cyprus | 2004  | 766,000  | 854,802  |   | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6
Luxembourg | 1951  | 460,000  | 590,667  | 4  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6
Malta | 2004  | 404,000  | 460,297  |   | 5  | 5  | 5  | 5  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6
Total | 494,070,000  | 511,522,671  | 78  | 142  | 198  | 410  | 434  | 518  | 567  | 626  | 788  | 732  | 785  | 736  | 754  | 766  | 751  | 705

Source for MEP figures 1952–2004: European Navigator. Source for population figures and MEP figures for 2007 and 2009: European Parliament, full population figures [1]. December 2011 figures reflect the members added to the European Parliament by the Protocol Amending the Protocol on Transitional Provisions (OJ 29.9.2010, C 263, p. 1) which came into force on 1 December 2011. Figures for 2019 follow parliamentary decision of February 2018.[2][3]

## See also

[edit]

* United States congressional apportionment

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "National Representation in European Democracy: Seat Apportionment in the European Parliament". European Union Studies Association. [PDF file]
2. ^ "Redistribution of seats in the European Parliament after Brexit". European Parliament. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
3. ^ a b "2024 European elections: 15 additional seats divided between 12 countries". Retrieved 19 September 2023.
4. ^ a b "Composition of the European Parliament". European NAvigator. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
5. ^ "Europäische Verfassung: Das Demokratiedefizit". Der Spiegel. 2 October 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
6. ^ It's based on the medium value 622,761 Inhabitants/MEPs. Formula:  622 , 761 ( I n h a b i t a n t s / M E P s ) M e m b e r s t a t e {\displaystyle {622,761 \over (Inhabitants/MEPs)_{Memberstate}}}
7. ^ "Distribution of EP seats: Constitutional Affairs Committee approvals proposal". Europa (web portal). 2 October 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2001.
8. ^ a b c "Composition of the European Parliament with a view to the 2014 elections". Europa.eu. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
9. ^ Goldirova, Renata (12 October 2007). "Italy seeks to delay MEP seats decision". EU Observer. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
10. ^ Goldirova, Renata (19 October 2007). "EU agrees new 'Lisbon Treaty'". EU Observer. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
11. ^ "18 new MEPs take their seats". European Parliament. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
12. ^ "Ratification of Parliament's 18 additional MEPs completed". European Parliament. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
13. ^ Philip Ebels (14 November 2011). "18 new MEPs to arrive next month". EUobserver. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
14. ^ "Ratification details". Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
15. ^ Protocol Amending the Protocol on Transitional Provisions annexed to the Treaty on European Union, to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ 29.9.2010, C 263, p. 1).
16. ^ Euractiv, MEP: 'Radical' electoral reform 'badly needed' for 2014 13 October 2008
17. ^ Europolitics, Célia Sampol, European elections: Andrew Duff proposes creation of transnational list Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine 26 April 2010
18. ^ Legislative observatory of the European Parliament, Procedure files on the Proposal for a modification of the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage of 20 September 1976
19. ^ Amendments to the protocol on transitional provisions annexed to the EU treaties ratified on 1 December 2011, according to the European Parliament Press release on the ratification of Parliament's 18 additional MEPs, 1 December 2011
20. ^ Accession of Croatia to the EU in compliance with the Treaty concerning the accession of the Republic of Croatia signed on 9 December 2011
21. ^ First proposal by Member of European Parliament Andrew Duff in his draft report entitled Proposal for a modification of the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage of 20 September 1976, published on 4 November 2010
22. ^ Report of the European Parliament staff, The allocation between the EU member states of seats in the European Parliament – Cambridge Compromise March 2011
23. ^ Euractiv, Countries set to lose MEPs as their population shrinks, 11 September 2012
24. ^ Official Journal of the European Union, 2013/312/EU: European Council Decision of 28 June 2013 establishing the composition of the European Parliament, 28 June 2013
25. ^ Eurostat, as of 1 January 2013; numbers in italic are provisional.
26. ^ a b "MEPs debate who inherits British seats". politico.eu. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
27. ^ "Size of Parliament to shrink after Brexit" (Press release). European Parliament. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
28. ^ Amendments to the protocol on transitional provisions annexed to the EU treaties ratified on 1 December 2011, according to the European Parliament Press release on the ratification of Parliament's 18 additional MEPs, 1 December 2011
29. ^ a b "Is Brexit an opportunity to reform the European Parliament?" [pdf]
30. ^ "Population on 1 January". Eurostat. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
31. ^ The Gini coefficient defines how equal (or unequal) is the distribution of seats among member states represented in the parliament. According to ref.,[29] the Gini coefficient of the European Parliament, before changes coming from brexit, is 17.5%, making it very unequal; as a point of comparison, the US House of representative scores a 2.2%, the German Bundestag 3.4%.
32. ^ Population of the EU without the United Kingdom
33. ^ "Draft report on the composition of the European Parliament (2021/2229(INL) – 2023/0900(NLE))" (PDF). European Parliament. February 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
34. ^ "MEPs propose new seat distribution for the next legislative term | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
35. ^ "European elections 2024: Parliament proposes more seats for nine EU countries | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
36. ^ "European Parliament set to grow by 15 MEPs in 2024". Retrieved 28 July 2023.
37. ^ a b "EUR-Lex - 32023D2061 - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
38. ^ Müller, Manuel (2 February 2024). "Degressive proportionality: EU enlargement will increase European electoral inequality – but the problem can be solved". Der Föderalist.

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