The European Parliament Electoral Procedure: a Reflection of the Historical Double Vision of the Integration Process and the Difficulty for Consensus Achievement

Abstract

The European Parliament is the most democratic institution of the institutional framework of the UE, elected since 1979 by direct universal suffrage. The history of the construction of the European Parliament’s electoral procedure is clear reflection of the European integration process evolution and the different views with regard to it (intergovernmentalism vs. supranationalism) Process where the reach of consensus is not always easy and, therefore, requires progress to be made stepwise. Consensus that is even more difficult to attain when talking about the essential elements of an electoral procedure and, in particular, of the electoral system to adopt. Elements in which the different constitutional traditions and understandings of the Member States have a great influence, as the British case clearly exemplifies with the strong opposition that arose against the abandonment of their traditional majoritarian system.