European Parliament election, 2004

Elections to the European Parliament were held from June 10, 2004 to June 13, 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. Votes were counted as the polls closed, but results were not announced until 13 June and 14 so results from one country would not influence voters in another where polls were still open; however, the Netherlands, voting on Thursday 10, announced nearly-complete provisional results as soon as they were counted, on the evening of its election day, a move heavily criticized by the European Commission.

Approximately 343 657 800 people were eligible to vote, the second-largest democratic electorate in the world after India. It was the biggest transnational direct election in history, and the 10 new member states elected MEPs for the first time. The new Parliament consists of 732 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Voting was in most cases by proportional voting for party lists, using the D'Hondt method for calculating the number of seats to be allocated to each party's candidate list. The Republic of Ireland and Malta used the Single Transferable Vote (STV) instead. In Italy open lists are used. In the United Kingdom, closed lists are used in England, Wales and Scotland but STV is used in Northern Ireland.

Results overall show a general defeat of governing parties and an increase in representatives from eurosceptic parties. However, the balance of power in the Parliament remains similar despite the 10 new member states.

Thursday 10 June	Netherlands, United Kingdom
Friday 11 June	Czech Republic, Ireland
Saturday 12 June	Czech Republic, Italy, Latvia, Malta
Sunday 13 June	Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

Results

At a glance

original groupings	EPP–ED	PES	ELDR	Greens/ EFA	EUL/ NGL	UEN	EDD	others⁶	total
before 2004 enlargement	232	175	52	45	49	23	17	32	625
after 2004 enlargement; outgoing	295 (37.4%)	232 (29.4%)	67 (8.5%)	47 (6.0%)	55 (7.0%)	30 (3.8%)	18 (2.3%)	44 (5.6%)	788 (100%)
immediately after election	277 (37.8%)	198 (27.0%)	68 (9.4%)	38 (5.2%)	39 (5.3%)	27 (3.7%)	15 (2.0%)	70 (9.6%)	732 (100%)
difference	-18 (+0.4%)	-34 (-2.4%)	+1 (+0.9%)	-9 (-0.8%)	-16 (-1.7%)	-3 (-0.1%)	-3 (-0.3%)	+26 (+4.0%)	-56
after grouping shuffle (20 July, first day reconvening)	268	199	88	42	41	27	33	33	731
new groupings	EPP–ED	PES	ALDE	Greens/ EFA	EUL/ NGL	UEN	ID	N.I.	total

(source: ^* ^* ^*)

Vote summary by EU Party

Registered voters: 352,430,455
Votes cast: 155,017,943 (43.99%)

Total 732 - - - 100.0 100.0 155,017,943

Note: These figures have been compiled by adding together national party vote figures listed on the wikipedia site and elsewhere. Where alliances are present between members of different EU poltiical parties, the votes have been divided between those list in proportion to the number of MEPs elected for each EU political party.

Votes by political group

Party	Votes	%	Change	Seats	Change
European People's Party / European Democrats (EPP-ED)	50,007,368	32.3	-	268	-
Party of European Socialists (PES)	38,824,140	25.0	-	199	-
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)	16,935,211	10.9	-	88	-
Greens/European Free Alliance (G/EFA)	10,210,061	6.6	-	42	-
Confederal Group of the European United Left / Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)	9,365,076	6.0	-	42	-
Independence and Democracy (ID)	8,007,854	5.2	-	38	-
Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN)	5,837,438	3.8	-	27	-
Far-Right Parties	5,261,614	3.4	-	13	-
Non-Affiliated Parties	10,569,182	6.8	-	15	-
Total	155,017,943	-	-	732

National results

Party Country	EPP–ED	PES	ELDR	Greens/ EFA	EUL/ NGL	UEN	EDD	others⁶	seats	percentage of parliament	turnout
(details)	6	7	-	2	-	-	-	2+1	18	2.5%	42.4%
(details)	4+1+1+1	4+3	3+2	1+1	-	-	-	3	24	3.3%	90.81%
(details)	2	-	1	-	2	-	-	1	6	0.8%	71.19%
(details)	9+2	2	-	-	6	-	-	5	24	3.3%	28.32%
(details)	1	5	3+1	-	1	1	1	1	14	1.9%	47.85%
(details)	1	3	1+1	-	-	-	-	-	6	0.8%	26.89%
(details)	4	3	4+1	1	1	-	-	-	14	1.9%	41.1%
(details)	17+11	31	-	6	3	-	-	7+3	78	10.7%	43.1%
(details)	40+9	23	7	13	7	-	-	-	99	13.5%	43.0%
(details)	11	8	-	-	3+1	-	-	1	24	3.3%	62.8%
(details)	12+1	9	2	-	-	-	-	-	24	3.3%	38.47%
(details)	5	1	-	-	1	4	-	1+1	13	1.8%	61.0%
(details)	16+5+2 +1+1+1	12+2	5+2 +1+1	2	5+2	9	-	4+2+2 +1+1+1	78	10.7%	73.5%
(details)	2+1	-	1	1	-	4	-	-	9	1.2%	41.23%
(details)	2+1	2	2+1	-	-	-	-	5	13	1.8%	48.2%
(details)	3	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	6	0.8%	90.0%
(details)	2	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	5	0.7%	82.37%
(details)	7	7	4+1	2+2	2	-	2		27	3.7%	39.1%
(details)	15+4	5+3	4	-	-	7	-	10+6	54	7.4%	20.42%
(details)	7	12	-	-	2	2	-	1	24	3.3%	38.7%
(details)	3+3+2	3	-	-	-	-	-	3	14	1.9%	16.96%
(details)	2+2	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	7	1.0%	28.25%
(details)	24	24	1+1	1+1	2	-	-	-	54	7.4%	45.1%
(details)	4+1	5	2+1	1	2	-	-	3	19	2.6%	37.2%
(details)	27+1	19	12	2+1+2	1	-	12	1	78	10.7%	38.9%
total	277 37.8%	198 27.0%	68 9.3%	40 5.5%	39 5.3%	27 3.7%	15 2.0%	68 9.3%	732	100.0%	45.5%

¹ Due to calculation used to determine number of seats awarded to a party, the percentage of the vote will not exactly match the number of seats
⁶Includes parties which belong to Non-Attached group as well as newly elected parties which have not yet been able to select their grouping. May include more than one party and seats obtained will not be directly comparable with the party results shown.

Final results are also available from the official EU website.

New parties in the 2004 election

In the United Kingdom, RESPECT The Unity Coalition was established to fight this election with the intention to use it as a springboard for a campaign against Tony Blair's government. The English Democrats Party appear in England for the first time in 5 of the 9 English Constituencies, campaining for an English Parliament and anti English 'European' regions.

A European Union-wide political party, the European Greens, was established in Rome on 21 February 2004 to contest this election.

Swedish Junilistan (the June list) formed early in the year, meant to provide social democratic and right wing voters a EU sceptic alternative.

In the Netherlands Europa Transparant of Paul van Buitenen got two seats

In Austria the Liste Hans-Peter Martin obtained two seats.

Political group reshuffle after the 2004 election

Liberals: The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party created a new grouping by allying with MEPs from the French party Union for French Democracy (previously part of the EPP-ED), the Margherita Party (Italy) (previously part of the EPP-ED), other Italian members, the Lithuanian Labour Party and the Belgian MR-MCC (previously EPP-ED). The new allies formed the EDP and a new combined group, between the ELDR and the EDP, was formed with the name ALDE: the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.