<P> The president is elected by the members of Parliament for a two - and - a-half - year term , meaning two elections per parliamentary term , hence two presidents may serve during any one Parliamentary term . Since the European People 's Party and Party of European Socialists began co-operating in the 1980s , they have had a tradition of splitting the two posts between them . In practice this means , in 2004 -- 2009 for example , that the People 's Party supported the Socialist candidate for president and , when his term expired in 2007 , the Socialists supported the People 's Party candidate for president . This results in large majorities for presidents , although there are some exceptions : for example from 1999 -- 2004 , under a People 's Party -- Liberal deal , the president for the second half of the term was a Liberal , rather than a Socialist . </P>
<P> The president is elected by the members of Parliament for a two - and - a-half - year term , meaning two elections per parliamentary term , hence two presidents may serve during any one Parliamentary term . Since the European People 's Party and Party of European Socialists began co-operating in the 1980s , they have had a tradition of splitting the two posts between them . In practice this means , in 2004 -- 2009 for example , that the People 's Party supported the Socialist candidate for president and , when his term expired in 2007 , the Socialists supported the People 's Party candidate for president . This results in large majorities for presidents , although there are some exceptions : for example from 1999 -- 2004 , under a People 's Party -- Liberal deal , the president for the second half of the term was a Liberal , rather than a Socialist . </P>
who elects the president of the european parliament
who elects the president of the european parliament
the members of Parliament
the members of Parliament