Voter apathy to hit EU elections 

Less than half of European citizens intend to vote in June's EU-wide elections for the European Parliament, according to the latest Brussels poll.

A Eurobarometer study released on Friday shows that MEPs campaigning for the poll can expect a disappointing show in both the new and old EU member states.

Just 34 per cent of citizens in the 15 old members countries say they "definitely" intend to cast their vote, comparing to an even lower 32 per cent in the ten new nations.

Fifty per cent in the old and forty four per cent in the accession countries have indicated they are "likely" to vote.

The UK, along with Austria, once again trails at the bottom of the table, with only 22 per cent intending to turn up to the polling booth.

Greeks go to the top of the class, where two thirds of citizens say they will definitely vote, followed close behind by 62 per cent of Danes.

Within the new member states, the Maltese are most keen to cast their ballot for their MEPs, with 58 per cent indicating they will "likely" take part.

The most influential factors on deciding which candidate to back are the voters attitudes to national and European issues.

The party of the candidate and his or her personality ranks ranks lower in the list of priorities of voters in the old member states.

The European Parliament faces the additional hurdle that people in most EU countries attach much more weight to their national parliaments.

But while 49 per cent in the old countries believe their national institutions have a greater effect, new EU citizens tend to give the European Parliament more prestige.

Many reform-minded MEPs in recent weeks have also expressed fears that the parliament's "gravy train" image and failure to clean up its opaque expenses system will have a negative impact on voters minds

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