Turnout

This time more than 50% of EU citizens eligible to vote took part in the elections, the highest turnout in 20 years and the first time since the first direct elections in 1979 that turnout has increased.

Numbers increased in 21 countries, going up more than 10 percentage points in seven. Check out the turnout figures here.

Check out coverage of the elections in our live blog.

Results

So far, final results are available for Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany and Slovakia. There are national estimates for Ireland and the UK and provisional results for the other countries. This means the provisional results shown in the image above are still subject to change.

For more information, check out the results website, which is regularly updated as new data becomes available.

Political groups

With the elections over, newly-elected MEPs must consider which political group to join or form in the Parliament. The groups include members from various countries who share political affinities.

Political groups enjoy certain advantages such as more influence and speaking time, but must meet certain requirements, including consisting of at least 25 MEPs from at least seven member states.

Check out our FAQ for more information on political groups.

Lead candidates

Political parties put forward candidates for the post of president of the European Commission ahead of the European elections. The lead candidate nominated by the Council, and able to command a majority in Parliament, will be elected President of the European Commission by a vote of Parliament.

The lead candidates are sometimes referred to by the German term spitzenkandidaten. This system was first used in 2014 to select current Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Based on the election results, the lead candidates will now try to form a majority in Parliament to support their bid. Meanwhile EU heads of state and government will meet for a summit in Brussels on Tuesday 28 May to discuss the elections results and start the nomination process for Commission president, as well as the heads of other EU institutions The Council aims to nominate the new leaders by June.