Only 37 of the 720 legislators have a diverse ethnic origin, according to data from ‘Euronews’.
The new European Parliament lacks diversity as shown by the data collected by ‘Euronews’. About 37 of the 720 newly elected MEPs They have a diverse origin, that is, almost the same figure as in 2019when the previous European elections were held.
We look at the legislators who were born in a country outside the EU or in which one of their parents was a foreigner, or in those who represent a minority, such as ethnic Hungarians from Romania.
In the 2019 – 2024 mandate, the United Kingdom (which left the European Union in 2020) chose the greater number of MEPs from ethnic minorities (seven of 73 seats), followed by France (six of 79 seats).
In the European elections in June 2024, France elected the more ‘diverse’ MEPs (ten out of 81), followed by Sweden (five out of 21). Germany and Romania each voted for three legislators with a different origin.
Greater inclusion is needed
A spokesperson for the European Network against Racism (ENAR) told Euronews that the lack of significant representation in Parliament “reinforces our conclusions that this institution does not reflect the diversity of the European population. This trend highlights the urgent need for greater inclusion and representation in EU political structures.”
Already in 2019, ENAR said that while racial and ethnic minorities They represent at least 10% of the population of the European Union, They represented around 36 (5%) of the total number of 751 MEPs elected. This figure was reduced to 4% after the United Kingdom left the bloc.
Brussels – seat of the EU Parliament – is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the worldwith about 184 different nationalities represented.
Parties responsible for better representation
French legislators include Arash Saeidi (GUE/NGL), born in Iran. Saeidi, elected on behalf of the left-wing party La Francia Insumisa, told ‘Euronews’ that he is “not surprised” by the figures because European elections are held at national levelwhere the panorama is similar.
“France It is not among the worst countriesbut it is the responsibility of the national parties to ensure that there is better representation,” he said.
France also counts among its MEPs three legislators from Réunion and Guadeloupe, its overseas departments. Countries like Netherlandswhich also has territories of this type, It does not have any legislator from the Caribbean side of his Kingdom in the delegation.
The legislator Rima Hassan (GUE/NGL), French and Palestinian, was elected in June and previously worked as a lawyer and human rights activist.
Systemic racism
As he told ‘Euronews’, “the political underrepresentation of racialized European citizens should worry us, since reflects the consequences – among many others – of systemic racism that we have been denouncing for years, but that many policy makers are still struggling to address.
“The fight against racial discrimination “must include a greater proportion of candidates from minority backgrounds, who are best placed to raise the issue of anti-racism at all levels of political representation, thereby reinforcing democratic legitimacy,” he added.
Belgium is one of the eight countries that It only has one MEP of non-EU origin: Assita Kanko (ECR), who was born in Burkina Faso. She entered the EU Parliament in 2019 and was re-elected in June. Ten Member States, including Portugal, Malta and Irelandthey did not elect any legislator with a different ethnicity.
Diversity efforts in the European Parliament
In 2021, the Parliament board – which includes its president and vice-presidents, agreed to make the administration itself more diverse. To achieve this goal in 2024, the table approved a two-year roadmap with ambitious milestones andn matters of disability, LGBTIQ+ issues and racial and ethnic diversity.
ADVERTISINGOne of the objectives in the fight against racism is encourage ethnic diversity among parliamentary staff. A Parliament spokesperson told ‘Euronews’ that all staff members now joining the institutions “receive extensive information on diversity and inclusion through briefings.”
However, the problem of diversity goes beyond Parliament, ENAR said in its analysis of the legislators elected in the 2019-2024 term. “The European Commission has a workforce of more than 33,000 people and has real power in European policy-making, and yet does not publish data on racial diversitynor implement positive actions to improve representation.”
In one letter sent to the incoming Commissionmore than 130 civil society organizations – including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch– called for equality and non-discrimination to be included as central priorities in their work for the next five years.
Less female presence
The new Parliament also registered the largest percentage drop in female representation since the first direct elections in 1979. Women will be 38.5% of MEPs -277 out of 720-, 2.1% less than in the previous legislature, when they occupied 46% of the seats.
ADVERTISINGAccording to the spokesperson service, the European Parliament High Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity will resume its work in the next legislature, “continuing with the application of the integration of the gender perspective in the activities, structures and bodies of Parliament.”
