Marcel De Graaff, MEP, ENF group  Dutch co-president comments on the 2019 upcoming European election procedures  and traditions. The elections of the EU leading candidates for the institutions president’ posts will develop merely in accordance with existing traditions of the bloc, mostly behind closed doors in deals between leading European political forces.

After Brexit the European Parliament should shrink from 751 to 705 MEPs, subsequently the EU and a number of MEPs should be elected through “transnational” electoral lists comprising the entire territory of the Union, according to a legislative initiative to be debated and put to the vote on Wednesday. In another resolution, Parliament says it is ready to reject any candidate for EU Commission President who is not nominated as a “lead candidate” (Spitzenkandidat) ahead of the 2019 EU elections.