21 March
ALDE Group to announce candidates for top posts 'Team Europe' Spitzenteam
18 April
Last European Parliament plenary ahead of elections
28 April
Legislative election in Spain
14 April
Legislative election in Finland
14 May
Live television debate between
Spitzenkandidaten
Spitzenkandidaten procedure
European political parties, ahead of European elections, appoint lead candidates for the role of Commission President, with the presidency of the Commission then going to the candidate of the political party capable of marshalling sufficient parliamentary support.
12 May
Presidential election in Lithuania
23-26 May
European Parliament elections
23 May
Voting in Netherlands
15 May
Spitzenkandidaten debate in the Brussels chamber
Spitzenkandidaten procedure
European political parties, ahead of European elections, appoint lead candidates for the role of Commission President, with the presidency of the Commission then going to the candidate of the political party capable of marshalling sufficient parliamentary support.
25 May
Voting in Latvia, Malta, Slovakia
26 May
Legislative and regional elections in Belgium
As of 27 May - new MEPs-elected will start negotiations to form political groups
MEP Member of the European Parliament
National elections scheduled in the run-up to European elections (may have a bearing on the choice of candidate commissioners)
- 14 April: Legislative election in Finland
- 28 April: Legislative election in Spain
- 12 May: Presidential election in Lithuania
- 26 May: Legislative and regional elections in Belgium
24 May
Voting in Ireland
26 May
Voting in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, e, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
Late May /
early June
Immediately following the elections, late May/early June, EP will convene to nominate the 'spitzenkandidat', i.e. potential future Commission President
June
Elected MEPs
allotted to
Parliamentary committees
June
Elected candidates negotiate to form political groups for the upcoming Parliament's 9th term
June
EU leaders hold a summit to discuss top appointments
June
EU summit to negotiate top appointments in the Commission
June
Parliamentary committee chairs appointed
June
Political groups are formed, especially relevant for eurosceptics
01 July
Finland takes
over the rotating Presidency of
the Council
July
Inaugural plenary session with elections of president and vice-presidents
02 July
Parliament's 9th term will start with an inaugural plenary session of the newly-elected Parliament
July
EU leaders aim to nominate the Commission president (if not done in June)
Week commencing 02 July -
MEPs will meet in Strasbourg to elect the president, the 14 vice-presidents and the 5 quaestors of the house and decide on the number and composition of parliament's standing committees.
MEP Member of the European Parliament
National elections scheduled in the run-up to European elections (may have a bearing on the choice of candidate commissioners)
- 14 April: Legislative election in Finland
- 28 April: Legislative election in Spain
- 12 May: Presidential election in Lithuania
- 26 May: Legislative and regional elections in Belgium
August
Recess
September
Commission president-elect nominates her or his team
September
/ October
Hearings of Commissioners - designate in Parliamentary committees
September
The commission's president-elect nominates a team of commissioners and seeks approval of parliament.
31 October
Mandate ends for Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
31 October
Britain's membership of the European Union is set to lapse as of 29 March 2019 and so will the mandates of currently 72 British MEPs
31 October
End of Juncker Commission mandate
New Commission is elected, new commission president gives inaugural speech (2 October plenary session)
30 November
Donald Tusk's
term expires as
European Council president
1 November
New commission takes office