The vast majority of these funds are distributed in proportion to the number of MEPs in each group.
This year, the European Parliament adjusted its funding schedule, disbursing €31 million to political groups in half-yearly instalments after the pivotal June elections.
The European vote this summer reshuffled the deck, with some groups gaining seats in the chamber and others, such as the Greens and the Liberals in Renew Europe, losing them.
Most of these funds are distributed proportionately to the number of MEPs in the group.
According to a document obtained by Euronews, the budget allocated to the political groups for the second half of 2024 (July to December) is €31 million.
The European People’s Party (EPP) received more than €8 million, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) nearly €6 million and the Patriots for Europe €3.7 million.
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Renew, the Greens/European Free Alliance and the Left (GUE/NGL) received almost €3.5 million, €3.4 million, just over €2.3 million and €2 million respectively.
The Europe of Sovereign Nations group (ENS), which has just 25 MEPs, received €1.17 million.
“The total funding that the European Parliament allocates to the political groups is around 65 million euros per year, which means that each MEP is worth an average of around 90,000 euros”, said Wouter Wolfs, lecturer in European politics at the University of Leuven in Belgium.
What is the calculation behind the payout?
The funds in the European Parliament budget are paid to the political groups on the basis of the following calculation: 97.5% are allocated in proportion to the number of MEPs and 2.5% are distributed equally.
“The bulk is distributed in proportion to the number of MEPs in the political groups. The larger groups therefore receive more funding, while the smaller groups receive less funding”, explained Wolfs.
The political groups use these funds to finance public information campaigns on their activities in the European Parliament, such as their votes or legislative initiatives,” he said.
“These appropriations are intended to cover administrative and operational expenses,” the European Parliament’s press service told Euronews.
“The European Parliament’s budget is the only source of funding for the political groups and non-attached MEPs”.
“Our group will use these appropriations to finance expenditure on political and information activities carried out by members as part of the European Union’s political activities, as well as the secretariat’s administrative and operational expenditure”, a Renew Europe spokesperson Yannick Laude told Euronews.
A source from the Greens said the funds allocated to it will support its mandate’s “political priorities”: the green transition, a more social Europe, and the fight for rights and democracy.
“We usually use the funds allocated for events, administrative support and activities linked to the work of our MEPs in fulfilling their commitments to the electorate”, they explained.
What are the limits?
Conversely, this budget cannot be used to support national political parties or to finance election campaigns.
In the past, Parliament has initiated proceedings to recover these funds when it felt they had been misused.
“In Denmark, the Danish People’s Party used this group funding to support its campaigns on Facebook in the run-up to the Danish national elections”, said Wolfs.
In France, the far-right National Front, now known as National Rally, was also accused of misusing group funding for national parties and national candidates, he added.
In addition to the €31 million allocated to the political groups, the European Parliament, through other envelopes, provides other funding, this time to MEPs, to hire their assistants.
The body also uses other funds to finance the European political parties, not to be confused with the political groups and pays political advisers to support the work of the groups.
“The political groups play an important role in the entire European decision-making process,” said Wolfs.
“They are responsible for legislation. They are responsible for the scrutiny and control of the European Commission. It is therefore important that they are well-resourced.”
