Between Thursday and Sunday of this week, some 378 million citizens of the 27 member states of the European Union are able to vote for the European Parliament.
At stake is not just the 735 seats in the parliament, but also the democratic legitimacy of the European Union. In the last 30 years, the European Parliament has seen its powers increase, while its popularity has continued to fade.
This is EUX.TV's curtainraiser on the European elections, looking at the significance of turnout.
