EU Election 2019: Initial Situation, Positions, Topics and Proposals
Overview and Background Information
The seminar with the title "EU Election 2019: Initial Situation, Positions, Topics and
Proposals” offered an overview of the EU institutions, legislation and work of the EU
Parliament. The Austrian factions were also presented as well as the positions and
proposals of the Freedom Party on core topics such as spending cuts, the asylum
system, border protection and crime.
The seminar was held on 16 March 2019 and is part of a seminar series in the lead-up to
the EU election on 26 May 2019. Austria will be apportioned 19 of the 705 seats,
provided that Brexit is completed on-time.
The EU Parliament (EP) is generally referred to as the “most democratic” of the many EU
institutions because it has been elected directly since the year 1979. The elections for
the EU Parliament take place every five years, and the next election will be on 26 May
2019. Every country organizes its own elections and sends a certain number of
representatives, depending on the population. The smallest countries send a minimum of
six representatives and the largest a maximum of 96. The European Parliament should
be reduced from 751 to 705 seats after Brexit.