The European Parliament, Its Structure and Historical Development in the Union Returning to Fortress Europe Again

The European Parliament (EP) is one of the seven main institutions of the European Union (EU) and, together with the EU Council, is one of the two legislative bodies that adopt European legislation following a proposal from the European Commission. The Parliament consisted of 720 members after the June 2024 European elections and represents the second largest democratic electorate in the world after the Indian Parliament. After the last elections, the European People’s Party Group (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the Group of Patriots of Europe (PfE), the Group of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Renew Europe emerged as the five largest political groups. While pro-EU centrist, liberal, social democratic and environmentalist parties suffered losses, anti-EU right-wing populist parties gained. This study will try to analyze the approach of the Parliament, which was formed as a result of the last elections, to the reactions of the EU for the next five years, by giving detailed information about the development of the European Parliament and indirectly the EU since the first day it emerged under the name of the Common Assembly.