Parliament wants to increase the number of MEPs to reflect demographic changes since 2019, EU affairs .
716: the number of seats MEPs are proposing for the next parliamentary term
In June 2023, a year ahead of the European elections planned for 6-9 June 2024, MEPs proposed the allocation of seats for each country in the next Parliament.
The proposal is to increase the number of MEPs, from the current 705 to 716.
Proposed seats per country for the 2024 elections to the European Parliament
Distribution of seats in the European Parliament
Proposed seats per country for the 2024 elections
| Countries | Current number of MEPs | Proposed number of MEPs in 2024 | Comparison between both columns |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 96 | 96 | Unchanged |
| FR | 79 | 79 | Unchanged |
| IT | 76 | 76 | Unchanged |
| ES | 59 | 61 | +2 |
| PL | 52 | 52 | Unchanged |
| RO | 33 | 33 | Unchanged |
| NL | 29 | 31 | +2 |
| BE | 21 | 21 | Unchanged |
| EL | 21 | 21 | Unchanged |
| CZ | 21 | 21 | Unchanged |
| SE | 21 | 21 | Unchanged |
| PT | 21 | 21 | Unchanged |
| HU | 21 | 21 | Unchanged |
| AT | 19 | 20 | +1 |
| BG | 17 | 17 | Unchanged |
| DK | 14 | 15 | +1 |
| FI | 14 | 15 | +1 |
| SK | 14 | 15 | +1 |
| IE | 13 | 14 | +1 |
| HR | 12 | 12 | Unchanged |
| LT | 11 | 11 | Unchanged |
| SI | 8 | 9 | +1 |
| LV | 8 | 9 | +1 |
| EE | 7 | 7 | Unchanged |
| CY | 6 | 6 | Unchanged |
| LU | 6 | 6 | Unchanged |
| MT | 6 | 6 | Unchanged |
| Total | 705 | 716 |
What’s next?
It is up to the European Council to decide on the proposal. The decision must be unanimous.
How is the number of MEPs per country decided?
EU law allows for a maximum of 750 MEPs, plus the President. The number of seats per country is decided before each European election.
The distribution of seats takes into account the size of the population of member states as well as the need for a minimum level of representation for European citizens from smaller countries. This principle of “degressive proportionality”, which is enshrined in the Treaty on the European Union, means that while smaller countries have fewer MEPs than bigger countries, MEPs from larger countries represent more people than their counterparts from smaller countries.
The minimum number of seats per country is six and the maximum is 96.
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