How powerful is the European Parliament?
Upcoming elections show its growing clout
![European countries ' flag fly at the European Parliament, and reflected in the building windows. Strasbourg, France.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240608_BLP509.jpg)
BETWEEN JUNE 6TH and 9th the European Union will hold an election for the European Parliament. The chamber has long had a reputation for toothlessness: critics have derided it as a “paper tiger” and a “Mickey Mouse” assembly. Most attempts to enact change, they say, get tangled in red tape. Yet the European Parliament has gradually become more powerful since its inception as a directly elected chamber in 1979. The outcome of the election will help to determine how the EU tackles a range of geopolitical problems, from the war in Ukraine to climate change. How does the parliament work and why does it matter?
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