STRASBURG - The Netherlands will likely gain two additional seats in the European Parliament after next year's European elections, supplementing the 29 Dutch MPs currently serving. Both the Parliament and the EU member states are in favor of this expansion, even though they still have to reach a full agreement.
Given the Netherlands' rapid population growth relative to other EU nations, it is currently underrepresented in the European Parliament, which has 705 members. Spain and France, who are also underrepresented, should receive two additional seats. Belgium, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Ireland, Slovenia, and Latvia are expected to each gain one more member. These additions would increase the total number of seats in the European Parliament to 720.
As many EU countries need to start election preparations soon, there is a sense of urgency, and EU diplomats expect the Parliament to accept the seat expansion proposed by the member states.
Without this pressing timeline, the discussion on seat distribution could have potentially been prolonged. It is common for member states to prioritize their own interests in these negotiations. Moreover, countries such as the Netherlands and Germany have shown reservations about expanding the number of parliamentarians. Although the Netherlands agrees that a larger share of representation is fair, it remains concerned about the possibility of the European Parliament becoming overly large, cumbersome, and expensive.
The Dutch will vote for the new European Parliament on June 6, with other EU member states holding their elections later that same week.