From 26 to 91, few women and many known faces: a picture of the new Parliament

Rookies and veterans, young and not-so-young, women and men, “famous” and “normal” citizens. Who are the MEPs at the first Plenary Session of the European Parliament today? Among the 751 elected of the 28 Member States, variety rules. Parliamentary seats will see new and known faces, about in the same number: re-elected of the latest term account for 50.6% of the total. The most conservative State? Germany, with the confirmation of about 70% of MEPs from the latest term, while Greece gives its breath of fresh air, electing only new names. Italy shows the will of changing as well: we elected 50 new names (over 68%), reconfirming 23 MEPs.

Even this term the female presence will be significantly lower than the male one – a slight improvement has been recorded though, with 36.88% of women against 63.12% of men, compared with 35% against 65% of the latest term. The country with the highest presence of women is Malta, with 66.67% of women MEPs, while the lowest presence is recorded with Lithuania, only 9%. Italian women MEPs are 29, against 44 men: about 40% of women quotas, a good improvement from the 22.2% of the latest Parliament.

Every age bracket is represented too: form the young Anders Primdahl Vistisen, 26-year old Danish MEP elected with the eurosceptic Danish People’s Party, to the 91-year old Greek Emmanouil Glezos, born in 1922 and partisan of the Greek Resistance during WWII, elected with Syriza. Among Italian seats, the youngest MEP is Marco Zanni, Five Stars Movement, born in 1986, and the most adult is Mercedes Bresso, elected with the Democratic Party.

Among the elected, known names for their erstwhile offices out of the European Parliament. Several former Commissioners, for instance: for the Financial Programming and Budget, Janusz Lewandowski, for Justice, Viviane Reding, for Economic Affairs, Olli Rehn, and Antonio Tajani, outgoing Commissioner for Industry. Moreover, Karel De Gucht, Commissioner for Trade, Neven Mimica, Commissioner for Consumer Protection, and Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Institutional Affairs.

Several former Prime Minister too: Andrus Ansip from Estonia, Jerzy Buzek from Poland, Valdis Dombrovskis from Lativa, Anneli Jäätteenmäki from Finland, Rolandas Paskas from Lithuania, Lojze Peterle from Slovenia. In addition, the former Prime Ministers of Malta, Alfred Sant, of Romania, Theodor Stolojan, and from Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt.

There will be 186 parties and movements represented in the new European Parliament, about twenty more than the latest term (they were 165).