Mark your calendars
- On 23 May, the Eurovision debate between the lead candidates for the job of European Commission President will take place in the Brussels plenary chamber. On 16 May, EBU representatives will determine, in a draw, the position of the candidates on the stage, the first speaker on each topic, and the order of the ‘spotlight’ interview.
- From 6 to 9 June around 373 million Europeans will be called to the polls to elect the 720 members of the next European Parliament. The results will be available in real time on the European elections results website. Journalists can also follow the results live in Brussels where the plenary chamber will be converted into one large pressroom.
Europe Day – 9 May
- The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Grand Place in Brussels, the Presidential Palace in Slovakia and Fort St Angelo in Valetta, Malta are among many landmark buildings across the EU that were illuminated to mark Europe Day and one month to go to the European elections (6-9 June). Images of the illuminations are available here.
- Across the EU, countries have been gearing up to celebrate Europe Day and the anniversary of what is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union, the Schuman declaration. A trinational bike race is taking place in the Czech/Polish/German border triangle. A variety of events are happening in Helsinki, Finland. In Madrid, Spain, there will be a solemn flag raising ceremony. These are just a few examples; a full list of events is available
Volunteers
Creating the largest European flag in the world, a Europe Day basketball tournament, cultural events or policy talks, this, and much more is happening in the together.eu community. 55,000 volunteers have registered on the platform so far and are contributing to inform about the upcoming European elections. A full list of together.eu events is available here.
Creativity meets democracy
- Over 100 social media content creators came together in the European Parliament in Brussels on 2 and 3 May, to explore how to create interest and spread the word about the elections to young voters in particular.
- Talbot Runhof and the Munich upcycling atelier Bellevue Couture joined forces to create a special European gown. This unique design made of fabric remnants incorporates European flags and the bold call to “vote”.
- Building on the series Parlement (a French/Belgian/German co-production) and its characters, the #Parlement2024 campaign has been launched to mobilise voters across the EU through 8 short videos to be released by June. The videos are available
Other news
The European Charlemagne Youth Prize promotes projects by young people to strengthen democracy and support active participation. The 2024 winners were announced on 7 May. Lithuania’s “Sisterhood Pathways” which aims at raising awareness and combat violence against women in the Baltic region came first. The French platform “Think, act and advocate together to leave no young people behind” and Germany’s online Europe magazine came second and third respectively.
Tools for the Press
What does the transition from the ninth to the tenth parliamentary term look like in the European Parliament? The Press Tool Kit contains information on this and much more.
