2026 elections in the European Union
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 elections in the European Union include national and regional elections in the EU member states. Eight of the twenty-seven member states (Slovenia, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Malta, Sweden, Latvia, and Cyprus) are set to elect new parliaments in 2026. Three (Portugal, Estonia, and Bulgaria) will elect presidents.[1]
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2026
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National elections
Parliamentary elections
Hungary's parliamentary election received the largest media focus of all those elecitions, as prime minister Viktor Orbán and his national conservative Fidesz party faced a strong challenge from Péter Magyar and the more moderate Tisza Party.[2] Orbán received criticism from the European Parliament[3] as multiple research organizations described the country as being in a state of democratic backsliding.[4][5] Politico Europe described the Hungarian election as the EU's most important election of 2026.[6]
| Member state | Election | Parliament before | Head of Government before | Party | EU Party | Parliament after | Head of Government after | Party | EU Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slovenia | 22 March |  |
Robert Golob | Svoboda | ALDE |  |
Janez Janša | SDS | EPP | ||||
| Denmark | 24 March |  |
Mette Frederiksen | Social Democrats | PES |  |
Mette Frederiksen | Social Democrats | PES | ||||
| Hungary | 12 April | .svg) |
Viktor Orbán | Fidesz | Patriots |  |
Péter Magyar | Tisza | EPP | ||||
| Bulgaria | 19 April |  |
Andrey Gyurov (Caretaker) |
Ind. | Ind. |  |
Rumen Radev | PB | NI | ||||
| Malta | 30 May |  |
Robert Abela | Labour | PES |  |
Robert Abela | Labour | PES | ||||
| Sweden | 13 September | .svg) |
Ulf Kristersson | Moderate | EPP |  | |||||||
| Latvia | 3 October |  |
Andris Kulbergs | AS | ECR | ||||||||
Partial parliamentary elections
- France, Senate: 2026 French Senate election, 27 September
- Czech Republic, Senate: 2026 Czech Senate election, 9–10 October
By-elections
Legislative elections in presidential states
Cyprus is notably the only EU member state with a strong presidential system where the president serves as both head of government and head of state.[7] As a result, the Cypriot legislature does not elect a prime minister, and instead, its members select the President of the Cypriot House of Representatives to head the body.
| Member state | Election | Legislature before | Head of Legislature before | Party | EU Party | Parliament after | Head of Legislature after | Party | EU Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | 24 May |  |
Annita Demetriou | DISY | EPP |  |
Annita Demetriou | DISY | EPP | ||||
Presidential elections in parliamentary states
Portugal and Bulgaria directly elect their presidents, while the presidents of Hungary and Estonia are elected indirectly by their respective parliaments, the National Assembly and the Riigikogu.[8]
Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Bulgarian president Rumen Radev have each been elected twice and are constitutionally ineligible to serve third terms.[9][10] Hungary's president, Tamás Sulyok, was forced from office by a constitutional amendment passed by the new government of Péter Magyar. Incumbent Estonian president Alar Karis was eligible for reelection, but he did not run for a second term and stated he wanted to see the office reformed.[11]
| State | Date | President before | Party | EU Party | President after | Party | EU Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 18 January 8 February |
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | PSD | EPP | António José Seguro | PS | PES | ||||
| Hungary | 11 August | Tamás Sulyok | Ind. | Ind. | András Baka | Ind. | Ind. | ||||
| Estonia | 2 September | Alar Karis | Ind. | Ind. | Ülle Madise | Ind. | Ind. | ||||
| Bulgaria | 25 October | Iliana Iotova | BSP | PES | |||||||
Referendums
- 2026 Italian constitutional referendum, 22–23 March
Local elections
Austria
- 2026 Graz local election, 28 June
Czechia
- 2026 Czech municipal elections, 9-10 October
Denmark
- 2026 Faroese general election, 26 March
France
- 2026 French municipal elections, 15 and 22 March
- 2026 French consular elections, 22 and 31 May
Germany
- 2026 Bavarian local elections, 8 March
- 2026 Hessian local elections, 8 March
- 2026 Baden-Württemberg state election, 8 March
- 2026 Rhineland-Palatinate state election, 22 March
- 2026 Saxony-Anhalt state election, 6 September
- 2026 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election, 20 September
- 2026 Berlin state election, 20 September
Italy
- 2026 Italian local elections, 24-25 May & 7-8 June
Netherlands
- 2026 Dutch municipal elections, 18 March
Spain
- 2026 Aragonese regional election 8 February
- 2026 Castilian-Leonese regional election, 15 March
- 2026 Andalusian regional election, 17 May
Sweden
- 2026 Swedish local elections, 13 September