María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia are the 2024 winners of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. 
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2024

When we think of the European Parliament, we usually imagine MEPs voting in the debating chamber. In reality, though, voting only takes place once a month, during plenary part-sessions. But what actually are these part-sessions, and how do they work?

What are plenary sessions?

Out of the jargon jungle. The role of the European Parliament President?

The role of the European Parliament President?

On 19 March 1958, the European Parliamentary Assembly hold a first meeting in Strasbourg. Luciano GRANZOTTO BASSO, Oldest member of the Assembly leads the election. The representatives elect Robert Schuman as President. He is the single candidate at the function.

Constitutive session of the European Parliamentary Assembly: election of Robert SCHUMAN, as President of the Assembly

A formal sitting is&nbsp;held to mark an official visit to the European Parliament, made at the President’s invitation after consulting with the Conference of Presidents.

The official guest is seated to the right of the President on the podium. After the welcoming remarks by the President, the official guest addresses the&nbsp; Parliament from the central rostrum in the Chamber.

The address for a formal sitting of Parliament&nbsp;usually lasts 30 minutes and generally takes place before the voting session.

Formal Sittings

On certain occasions, David SASSOLI, President of the European Parliament, gives a speech during plenary sessions highlighting the news, a special event or pays tribute to a personality and asks for a minute of silence.

Statements of David SASSOLI, EP President in Plenary

Holocaust Remembrance Day - Group photo with the leaders of political groups

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day - Meeting between Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Corrie Hermann, daughter of Hungarian-born cellist Pál Hermann

EP Plenary session - EU funding of physical border protection structures such as walls, fences or other barriers at the external border

EP Plenary session - Voting session

EP Plenary session - Cryptocurrencies - need for global standards

EP Plenary session - Combating Desertification: 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention

EP Plenary session - Stepping up international action to protect whales following Iceland’s decision to extend commercial whaling until 2029

EP Plenary session - Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

EP Plenary session - EU financing through the LIFE programme of entities lobbying EU institutions and the need for transparency

EP Plenary session - Links between organised crime and smuggling of migrants in light of the recent UN reports

EP Plenary session - Failure of the negotiations in Busan for a UN plastic treaty and the urgent need to tackle plastic pollution at international and Union level

EP Plenary session - Addressing EU demographic challenges: towards the implementation of the 2023 Demography Toolbox

EP Plenary session - Uniting Europe against actors hostile to the EU: time to strengthen our security and defence

Live Replay of the debate on International Women's Day during the pleanry session in Brussels (09-10 March 2020)

International Women's day: MEPs debate

Live Replay of the debate on Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact during the plenary session in Brussels. The plenary session takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the coronavirus. The session has been shortened to one day - Tuesday 10 March

Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact: MEPs debate (part 1)

Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact: first round of political group leaders

Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact: MEPs debate (part 3)

Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact: MEPs debate (part 2)

Exceptionally, the plenary session takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the coronavirus. During the session which has been shortened to one day - Tuesday 10 March, MEPs debate on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework (MFF).

Conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework: MEPs debate (part 1)

Exceptionally, the plenary session takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the coronavirus. During the session which has been shortened to one day - Tuesday 10 March, Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council, and Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight, make the opening statement on the debate on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework (MFF).

Conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework: opening statements by Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council, and by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the EC

Exceptionally, the plenary session takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the coronavirus. During the session which has been shortened to one day - Tuesday 10 March, Katarina BARLEY (S&D, DE), EP Vice-President, makes the opening statement on the debate on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework (MFF).

Conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework: atmosphere shots of the arrivals and opening remark by Katarina BARLEY (S&D, DE), EP Vice-President

Conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework: MEPs debate (part 2)

Exceptionally, the plenary session takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the coronavirus. During the session which has been shortened to one day - Tuesday 10 March, Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight, makes the closing statement on the debate on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework (MFF).

Conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 20 February 2020 on the Multiannual Financial framework: closing statement by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight

Live replay of the debate on Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it during the plenary session in Brussels. The plenary session takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the coronavirus. The session has been shortened to one day - Tuesday 10 March

Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it: MEPs debate (part 1)

Live replay of the debate on Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it during the plenary session in Brussels. The plenary session takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the coronavirus. The session has been shortened to one day - Tuesday 10 March The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it: Opening statements by Nikolina BRNJAC, Croatian Presidency and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it: Closing statements by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and by Nikolina BRNJAC, Croatian presidency

Migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border and the EU's common response to it: MEPs debate (part 2)

Exterior and interior shots of the European Parliament in Brussels.

EP Plenary session (09-12/03): editing shots

David SASSOLI, EP President opens the session (9-12 March 2020) at the European Parliament in Brussels. David Sassoli explain why the plenary session is exceptionally held in Brussels and the modification of the agenda due to the concerns linked to the spread of the Coronavirus. This transcription speech is the he result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Resumption of session and order of business: Opening remarks by David SASSOLI, EP President

David SASSOLI, EP President opens the session (9-12 March 2020) at the European Parliament in Brussels.Order of business (part1). This transcription speech is the he result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Resumption of session and order of business: order of business

David SASSOLI, EP President, opens the plenary session (9-12 March 2020) in Brussels. Exceptionally, the plenary takes place in Brussels instead of Strasbourg because of concerns linked to the spread of the Coronavirus and due to these circumstances, the President announces the new agenda of this plenary session decided by the EP Conference of the Presidents.

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