The 1984 European Parliament election was the first since the inaugural election of 1979 and the 1981 enlargement of the European Community to include Greece. It was also the last before the accession of Spain and Portugal in 1986.

Results showed centre-left and right-wing MEPs profiting at the expense of the far-left and centre-right. The Socialists consolidated their position as the biggest group in the Parliament, and there were notable changes for the smaller groups, with far-right MEPs forming a group and the coalescence of the Green and Regionalist group known as "Rainbow". The overall turnout dropped to 61%. No party could achieve majority.

Electoral system There was no single uniform voting system for all member states; each of them adopted its own method, established by national law.

The United Kingdom used a one-round (first-past-the-post) system of 78 constituencies in England, Wales and Scotland, while in Northern Ireland 3 proportional seats were allocated. Belgium, Ireland and Italy used a proportional system with subdivision of the territory into constituencies. Denmark, France, West Germany, Greece, Luxembourg and the Netherlands used a single national proportional system, although in the case of Denmark, Greenland had its own constituency with the allocation of one seat and in the case of West Germany the three seats for the West Berlin area were not directly elected but were chosen by the Berlin House of Representatives, given the particular status of the city.

Pre-election Seat changes

The number of seats was the same as before for each member state that took part in the 1979 election. Greece, which had joined in 1981, was allocated 24 new seats. This raised the number of seats to 434 from 410. National distribution of seatsStateSeatsStateSeats8124812481168115256

Campaign

Election and regrouping Overview

The Socialists increased their share by six seats to 130 seats, up from 124 before the elections. The Democratic Alliance (formerly Progressive Democrats) also made gains, up by seven to 29 seats. The People's Party's, the European Democrats, Communists and Liberals all lost seats. The French National Front and the Italian Social Movement founded a group called the "European Right": the first far-right group in the Parliament. The Technical Group of Independents was replaced by the Rainbow Group, a mixture of Greens and Regionalists.

Final results

1984 European Parliament election - Groups at 23–26 July 1984GroupDescriptionChaired byMEPs  SOCSocial DemocratsRudi Arndt130  EPPChristian DemocratsEgon Klepsch110  EDConservativesHenry Plumb50  COMCommunists and the Far LeftGianni Cervetti41  LDLiberals and Liberal DemocratsSimone Veil31  EDANational ConservativesChristian de La Malène29  RBWGreens and RegionalistsElse HammerichJaak VandemeulebrouckeBram van der LekPaul Staes20  DRFar Right NationalistsJean-Marie Le Pen16  NIIndependentsnone7Total: 434Sources:

Results by country

GroupNationSOCEPPEDCOMLDEDARBWDRNITotalBelgium4 PS 3 SP4 CVP 2 PSC3 PRL 2 PVV2 VU 1 Agalev 1 Ecolo2 Ind. 24Denmark3 A 1 Siu1 D4 C1 SF2 V4 N 16France20 PS7 UDF 2 UDF (CDS)10 PCF6 UDF (PR) 5 UDF 1 UDF (PRV)20 RPR UPC10 FN 81Greece10 PASOK9 ND3 KKE 1 KKE–E1 EPEN 24Ireland6 FG1 Ind.8 FF 15Italy9 PSI 3 PSDI26 DC 1 SVP 26 PCI3 PLI 2 PRI1 PdUP 1 DP 1 PSd'Az5 MSI3 PR 81Luxembourg2 LSAP3 CSV1 DP 6Netherlands9 PvdA8 CDA5 VVD1 PSP 1 PPR1 SGP25United Kingdom32 LAB 1 SDLP45 CON 1 UUP1 SNP1 DUP81West Germany33 SPD34 CDU 7 CSU7 Grünen 81Total1301105041312920167434

Statistics + European Parliament election, 1984 - statisticsAreaDatesSeatsElectorateTurnoutPreviousNextElection methodsSourcesEuropean Community(EC-10)14, 17 June1984434200,505,75261%19791989All PR, except UK (not NI)which used FPTP + European Parliament election, 1984 - timelineFirst Parliament 1984 election and regroupingSecond ParliamentGroups Pre-elections1 January ChangeResults23 July NewgroupsFirst session23 July  SOC 124 +6 130  SOC 130  EPP 117 -7 110  EPP 110  ED 63 -13 50  ED 50  COM 48 -7 41  COM 41  LD 38 -7 31  LD 31   EPD 22 +7 29   EDA 29  CDI 12 +820  RBW20 NI10+13 7  NI 7 16  DR 16Total 434 +0 434Total 434Sources: + European Parliament election, 1984 - Delegation at 23 July 1984GroupDescriptionDetails%MEPs  SOCSocial DemocratsWest Germany 33, Belgium 7, Denmark 4, France 20, Italy 12, Luxembourg 2, Netherlands 9, UK 33, Greece 1030%130  EPPChristian DemocratsWest Germany 41, Belgium 6, Denmark 1, France 9, Ireland 6, Italy 27, Luxembourg 3, Netherlands 8, Greece 925%110  EDConservativesDenmark 4, UK 4612%50  COMCommunists and the Far LeftDenmark 1, France 10, Italy 26, Greece 49%41  LDLiberals and Liberal DemocratsBelgium 5, Denmark 2, France 12, Ireland 1, Italy 5, Luxembourg 1, Netherlands 57%31  EDANational ConservativesFrance 20, Ireland 8, UK 17%29  RBWGreens and RegionalistsWest Germany 7, Belgium 4, Denmark 4, Italy 3, Netherlands 25%20  DRFar-Right NationalistsFrance 10, Italy 5, Greece 14%16  NIIndependentsBelgium 2, Italy 3, Netherlands 1, UK 12%7Sources: 100%434

Post-election

References

External links Special issue of Electoral Studies on the elections. The election of the Members of the European Parliament European Navigator Full Election Details Elections Online (In French)