The new European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee has been formed

The new European Parliament has taken its shape, and David-Maria Sassoli was elected as the Parliament President. Mr Sassoli is a member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and of Partito Democratico (Italy). All 14 European Parliament Vice-Presidents were elected in three rounds of voting for a two-and-a-half year term (you can find the full list of new Vice-Presidents here).

Sabine Verheyen, German member of the European People’s Party and the Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschland, was elected as the new chair of the Committee on Culture and Education. Romeo Franz (Greens, Germany) and Dace Melbārde (European Conservatives and Reformists Group, Latvia) were elected first and second Vice-Chairs. The committee agreed to wait until the next meeting on July 23 to vote on the third and fourth vice chairs. Andrea Bocskor (EPP), a member of Hungary’s Fidesz party, was up for fourth vice chair.

The new Culture and Education Committee consists of 31 full members, of which 8 belong to the European People’s Party, 6 are members of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, 4 represent Renew Europe (renamed Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe), 3 come from Greens, 3 belong to the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, 3 are members of the newly formed Identity and Democracy group (successor of Europe of Nations and Freedoms), 2 represent the European United Left/Nordic Green Left and 2 are non-attached members.

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In May 2019, European citizens voted on their representatives in the European Parliament for the next five years, to defend their interests in the EU. This year’s election had a turnout of 51%, an increase of 8.3 percentage points from the previous election in 2014. It is also the first time since 1999 that more than half of adult citizens voted. The 751 MEPs elected have an average age of 50 years (with the youngest being 21 and the oldest 82). There is a majority of new MEPs(435). Women represent 40.4% of all MEPs. Read more about the new composition of the European Parliament.