Los 40 eurodiputados que realmente importan

El Parlamento Europeo ha recorrido un largo camino desde que era un organismo no elegido y meramente consultivo hasta su papel actual como colegislador europeo de la única institución de la UE con un mandato directo de la población europea. A pesar de ello, sus diputados son unos desconocidos. POLITICO ha eleaborado una lista de los 40 eurodiputados que mejor se las arreglan para ejercer una influencia política tangible en Europa y cuáles de ellos son estrellas en ascenso.

The most striking feature of the list is the sheer number of German MEPs. While Germany makes up just 16 percent of the EU’s population; its MEPs constitute 35 percent of this list. Germany’s EU dominance is normally framed in terms of Angela Merkel, but this ranking shows there’s more to it than just the chancellor.

Germany’s size, and the fact that the Parliament’s president (Martin Schulz) and top civil servant (Klaus Welle) are both German, have clearly helped nudge a whole caste of Germans into top roles. The dominance of MEPs from Western Europe (which contributes five of the six biggest EU countries to the Parliament) is also clear. Only seven out of this list of 40 come from Central and Eastern Europe.

There are people from all political stripes on the list — as well as from both sides of the pro-/anti-EU fence.