Google commemorated the 2024 European Parliament elections with two Doodles released on Saturday, June 8. The elections are currently underway across four European Union (EU) countries: Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, and Malta.
The Doodles feature a ballot box adorned with the EU flag, which symbolizes the European ideals of unity, solidarity, and harmony. The flag displays a circle of 12 gold stars against a blue background, representing the member states of the EU.
The European Parliament elections began on June 6 and will conclude on June 9, with most of the EU's 27 countries participating in the transnational voting for the European Parliament on Sunday, June 9. The Netherlands held its elections on June 6, while Ireland and the Czech Republic conducted theirs on June 7.
The European Parliament, one of the EU's three central institutions, plays a vital role in governing the 27-member bloc. It collaborates with EU governments to legislate on policies that impact the EU market and its nearly 450 million inhabitants. The laws it decides upon are originally proposed by the European Commission.
Italy will hold its European Parliament election on June 8 and 9, alongside the 2024 local elections. These elections will determine the elected members of Italy's 10th delegation to the European Parliament.
In Slovakia, citizens are participating in the final days of voting for the EU-wide elections. This comes after a May 15 assassination attempt on Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, allegedly by a 71-year-old poet. On Friday, another violent incident occurred when a man struck Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in a Copenhagen square.
The upcoming European Parliament will have the authority to co-decide on the EU budget for 2028-2034, in conjunction with EU governments. The current seven-year budget stands at approximately 1.1 trillion euros, according to Reuters.
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