How frequently are the elections for the European Parliament conducted?

The European Parliament, while not directly governing the UK anymore since Brexit, is still a significant part of European history and understanding its structure helps grasp the UK's past relationship with the continent. The idea behind having elections every five years is to strike a balance between allowing elected officials enough time to implement policies and ensuring regular accountability to the voters. Five years provides a reasonable term for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to gain experience, contribute to legislation, and represent their constituents effectively. Shorter terms, like annually or every two years, would lead to constant campaigning and instability. Longer terms, like ten years, would reduce accountability and potentially lead to MEPs becoming out of touch with public opinion. So, the five-year cycle is designed to foster both stability and democratic representation within the European Parliament.