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Borrell is elected president of the European Parliament

On 20 July 2004 MEPs elected Borrell Parliament president. In the causal graph this event strengthens Democratic Resilience, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

On 20 July 2004 MEPs elected Borrell Parliament president. The office chairs; it does not legislate alone. Election is a completed institutional act of an earlier career chapter.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Josep Borrell

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.6 · verified

    MEPs voted. He then ran the plenary. Co-legislators still wrote law.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactBorrell is elected president of the European Parliament
    2. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Having a say in government
    Improving path

    impact weight 0.25 · Effect from 20 July 2004 · verified

    A completed EP presidency records ordinary parliamentary rotation in the Union.

    • Having a say in government

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.17 (weight 0.25 × strength 0.7)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Clean elections index

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.11 (weight 0.25 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.53 score from 0 to 1 · 0.34 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.17 score from 0 to 1 to 0.53 score from 0 to 1.

      Above normal = better

    • WJP Rule of Law Index (global)

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.11 (weight 0.25 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Reuters — Borrell elected EP presidentReuters · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.European Parliament — presidentsEuropean Parliament · High credibility · verified

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorJosep Borrell
  2. contributed toFactBorrell is elected president of the European Parliament
  3. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Borrell is elected president of the European Parliament. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-borrell-ep-president

https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-borrell-ep-president

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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