Flanders to get extra seat in expanded European Parliament

MEPs will formally approve an enlargement of the European Parliament by 15 seats on Wednesday. ​ The Parliament will grow from 705 to 720 seats, with Flanders gaining one seat.

France, Spain and the Netherlands will gain two seats, while nine other member states will gain one. Belgium is one of those countries: the seat will go to the Dutch-speaking electoral college, bringing Belgium's total to 22 seats.

The change was originally approved by the Parliament in June and will come into force at the start of the next European legislature in 2024. The expansion was made to better reflect demographic trends in the member states and to make the composition of the European Parliament fairer.

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