The Tally Room

Latvia elected its first MEPs in 2004, when they elected 9 MEPs using a system of party-list proportional representation with Saint-Lague counting and a 5% threshold, with a single constituency. In 2009 they will elect 8 MEPs. Interestingly, the 5% threshold had the effect...

Finland joined the EU in 1995, first electing MEPs in a 1996 by-election. At the 1996 election and 1999 election Finland elected 16 MEPs, which fell to 14 in 2004. Finlands are elected using open-list proportional representation, where a D'Hondt count distributes seats between...

Romania first conducted a European Parliament election in November 2007, when a by-election was conducted. This followed Romania's 2007 admission into the EU along with Bulgaria. Romania elected 35 MEPs in 2007, and will elect 33 MEPs next weekend. The 2007 result was: Democratic Party...

The Netherlands is the largest of the Benelux countries - all of whom were founding members of the EU - and will elect 25 MEPs on Thursday 4 June, which is a reduction of two MEPs from 2004. The country uses the D'Hondt method,...

Greece will elect 22 MEPs next weekend by a system of party-list proportional representation using a single nationwide constituency with a 3% threshold. Greece elected 24 MEPs in 2004. These were the 2004 results: New Democracy (European People's Party) - 43.02%, 11 seats Panhellenic Socialist Movement...

Guest post from our Benelux correspondent, Justin-Paul Sammons. Like its smaller neighbour Luxembourg, Belgium will elect its EU representatives on Sunday 7 June; voting is compulsory (as it also happens to be in Luxembourg), and polls are only open from 8:00am to 1:00pm (until 3:00pm if you're...

Slovakia elected 14 MEPs  as one single national constituency  for the first time in 2004, and will elect 13 in 2009. The following was the 2004 result: Slovak Democrat and Christian Union (European People's Party) - 17.1%, 3 seats People's Party - Movement for a Democratic...

Hungary elects its MEPs using proportional representation in one nationwide constituency. Hungary elected 24 MEPs in their first European election in 2004, and will elect 22 next weekend. The 2004 election produced the following result: Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union (European People's Party) - 47.4%, 12...

The EU's smallest country, Malta elects five MEPs by the Single Transferable Vote (like Ireland's MEPs). This same system is used to elect Malta's national parliament, with 13 5-member districts. Maltese politics is one of the strictest two-party systems in the world. The only country...

Slovenia elects 7 MEPs next weekend, the same number it elected in its first European election in 2004. The 2004 election result was as follows: New Slovenia (European People's Party) - 23.5%, 2 seats Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party) and Democratic...