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If a candidate breaks the law (e.g. exceeding spending limits) in UK parliamentary elections, I understand that the election can be annulled and rerun.

What are the possible outcomes if candidates or parties break the law in elections to the European Parliament?

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  • Since the EU elections are actually organized by the member countries according to their own national criteria, I'm having doubts that there is EU regulation/legislation on what you ask. But it's not impossible that some EU provision might exist. – Fizz May 18 '19 at 17:56
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European Law requires that countries run elections to the parliament in accordance with their own election systems. If the breach of UK election law was significant enough to disqualify some of the candidates or parties, then not only would the candidates be breaking UK law, but also the UK would be breaking EU law.

The candidates would have to be withdrawn and a special election held. There is a provision for a by-election to be held for vacant seats in the European Parliament, if the seat cannot be filled with candidates from the party list. This could happen if an independent MEP died in office or if a party was found to have so seriously broken election law that their candidates were unable to take the posts.

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  • To clarify, I mean, if a party is found to have broken election law to the extent that all candidates from that party are unable to remain in post then an election would have to be held. If, however a single candidate was disqualified, then the next candidate from that party could fill the post. – James K May 19 '19 at 22:36

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