They are elections whose purpose many do not see, for an institution whose role few fully understand; an international ballot still viewed primarily by voters as a low-risk way to vent national frustrations.
"They're not really about the EU and they don't really matter" was long the popular take on elections to the European parliament, whose latest edition, from 6 to 9 June, will once more fill the 705 seats of the only directly elected EU body.
Those views were never really true, and have certainly become less so since 2009, when the Lisbon treaty put the parliament on a more equal footing with national leaders in deciding what the EU does and how much it spends, plus more influence on who runs the bloc.
Polling shows that more of the EU's roughly 400 million voters than ever before believe the bloc is important, are interested in the 2024 elections and intend to vote.
But with nation-first Eurosceptics on the rise across the EU and predicted to make gains in parliament, although far from enough for a majority, analysts also say this election could be seen as a "make-or-break moment".
According to a Eurobarometer poll of 27,000 people published in December, 57% of voters are interested in the elections, 6 points more than in the run-up to the previous European elections in 2019, and 68% intend to vote - up 9 points.
A record 72% think membership has been good for their country, while 70% feel the EU matters in their daily lives. But voters are also worried: 73% fear their standard of living will decline this year.
Denne historien er fra January 04, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra January 04, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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