European Parliament Attendance Rates Have Declined
Secretary General Alessandro Chiocchetti linked lower participation in legislative sessions to changed working habits.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Remote Work
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European Parliament Secretary General Alessandro Chiocchetti has criticized falling attendance rates at committee meetings and plenary sessions. The shift follows a high turnover of members during the 2019 and 2024 elections.
Why it matters
Chiocchetti argues that the Covid-19 pandemic permanently altered professional habits, while some members contend that time spent on external engagement is vital for modern representation.
Secretary General Alessandro Chiocchetti has served the institution for 32 years, witnessing a shift from traditional attendance norms. Meanwhile, veteran member Bernd Lange has maintained his parliamentary service for 25 years.
The players
Alessandro Chiocchetti
He is the current secretary general of the European Parliament who has dedicated 32 years of his career to the institution.
Bernd Lange
He is a long-standing member of the European Parliament who has served in the body for 25 years.
The details
Alessandro Chiocchetti highlighted a failure to transmit essential working methods to the influx of first-time members elected in 2019 and 2024. Members suggest that a move toward digital-first communication strategies has fundamentally changed how they approach physical attendance in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Timeline
2019 marked the start of a period with high turnover in new MEPs.
2024 saw the election of another cohort of first-time members.
Last week, Alessandro Chiocchetti met with members to discuss these participation concerns.
Market Landscape
This internal conflict mirrors the wider international trend of organizations struggling to reconcile pre-pandemic attendance expectations with modern, digitally-driven work habits. The debate highlights a significant friction point between institutional traditions and the operational styles of newly elected cohorts.
Constituents may experience shifts in how their representatives engage with the public, as members increasingly prioritize social media communication over traditional physical presence. This move could change the availability of lawmakers for direct, in-person legislative deliberations in Brussels and Strasbourg.
The takeaway
Legislative bodies continue to face challenges in standardizing work habits as veteran leadership meets a younger, digitally-focused generation of representatives. Organizations should prioritize clearer transmission of institutional culture to ensure continuity during periods of high leadership turnover.
Further reading
Explore deeper insights into the changing nature of professional participation on our Remote Work section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Euractiv DE.
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