Procedures, Politics, Policies: the pieces of the puzzle for the next institutional cycle of the EU

The European Parliament elections scheduled for 6–9 June 2024 will be followed by the appointment of a new President of the European Commission, Commissioners and other key leaders at EU level, such as the President of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The new representatives and leaders will set a course of action for the next five years to tackle economic challenges, enlargement, and internal reforms as well as security and defence issues. The elections are thus expected to have a considerable impact on the future of Europe.

In this European Policy Analysis, Valentin Kreilinger, senior researcher in political science at SIEPS, examines the pieces of the puzzle that will define this new institutional cycle: procedures, politics, and policies. He explains the formation of the EU’s new leadership team in the weeks and months following the election, considers the potential challenges that may arise during the process, and describes how those leaders and institutions will set the policy agenda for 2024–2029.

A package of ‘top jobs’ may well be approved through qualified majority voting in the European Council. However, due to the current uncertain political climate caused by increasing party-political fragmentation and the probable rise of the far right, it may prove challenging for a candidate for Commission President to obtain the necessary 361 votes in the European Parliament.

Despite the pitfalls and uncertainties there will in all likelihood be a team in place by the end of the year, composed of both new and familiar faces, and with a policy agenda by which to steer the EU for the next five years.