Facts on How the EU works

Is the European Commission unelected or undemocratic?

This article is part of our Ask Full Fact series on the 2019 general election, answering your questions about the election, from claims the main parties are making to what happens on polling day.

EU staff don’t lose their pensions for criticising the EU

And nor would ex-commissioners like Neil Kinnock and Peter Mandelson.

Do MEPs get to vote for the new President of the European Commission?

Brexit Party MEP Richard Tice said MEPs did not get to vote on nominees to four key EU positions. MEPs will get to vote to approve one of them.

Was the new President of the European Commission democratically elected?

We checked a Facebook post which exaggerates the powers of the proposed new President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Polish pensions are not directly subsidised by the UK

As of 2018, the most common retirement age for men and women in the EU was 65. In some countries, women can retire as early as 60.

This post about EU budget contributions is misleading

We don’t yet know what the EU budget will look like in 2022.

The UK can’t be forced to leave the EU or to join the euro

Political pressure to join the euro is all the UK might face.

The UK won’t have to adopt the Euro by 2020

Even if the UK is still in the EU next year, the Lisbon treaty does not force it to adopt the Euro. The UK has an opt-out from this.

EU member countries don’t all have to join the Euro by 2020

The UK and Denmark both have opt-outs and seven other countries only have to join once they’ve fulfilled certain requirements.

UK taxpayers aren’t subsidising France’s 35-hour working week

The EU budget is not spent on subsidising the French or German working week, or transport and utilities systems.