This diploma essay deals with the process of founding, long historical development and shaping of the European Parliament as a legislative body whose decisions today have direct legal effect on the twenty-seven member states of the European Union. Every five years, around 450 million European citizens have the opportunity to vote in the elections and to influence the future direction of the European Union and the way it will meet the challenges of modern society, while protecting democracy, the rule of law and all fundamental values that this community has advocated since its inception. The first part of the paper describes the development of the European Parliament, which through the history and changes of European treaties is gaining more and more power and has a wider area of competence. The second part describes the basic structure and organization of this representative body, analyzes the activities of the President of the European Parliament and other officials, and presents in more detail the visions of individual parliamentary clubs operating in the current, ninth convocation of the European Parliament. The third part describes the way the European Parliament works through its supervisory, budgetary and very important legislative powers.