Latest polls point to low turnout at EU election[fr][de] 

While some analysts have predicted a slight increase in turnout compared to the last election in 2004, others see it falling even further. 

A Eurobarometer poll from April 2009 suggested that patterns were broadly comparable to 2004, while a TNS study on behalf of the French Political Innovation Foundation, published this week, showed that most Europans aren’t interested in the elections. 

The TNS poll, which consulted over 15,000 EU citizens in March and April this year, found that 18% of EU citizens were "not at all interested" in the elections, while 35% said they were "rather not interested." By contrast, 11% said they were "very interested" and 35% said they were "rather interested". 

Low voter turnout is a recurring problem at European elections (EurActiv 15/04/09). Indeed, turnout has decreased at every ballot since direct elections were first held in 1979 (See EurActiv’s LinksDossier).

2004 set the latest record, with a combined EU turnout of just 45.5%. 

To tackle this perennial flaw, the European Parliament this year launched a pan-European promotional campaign aimed at “getting out the vote,” unprecedented in its scope and expense (18 million Euro). 

However, all indications are that, despite the flashy "European elections, it's your choice " blanket campaign which features TV, billboard, radio, internet and seminar promotion, numbers will stagnate at the June vote. 

If one aggregates current projections, the most likely result seems to be a very similar turnout. 

Low turnout shows that voters are “rational”: Swedish PM 

While most EU leaders routinely lament low voter turnout, and most MEPs argue that the upcoming poll is arguably the most important ever, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country will take over the EU Presidency from the Czech Republic on the 1st of July, offered a more relaxed analysis of the turnout issue. 

Speaking recently to Swedish media, Reinfeldt argued that "voters draw the natural conclusion that there’s a big difference between general elections and a ballot that gives us [Sweden] seats in a European Parliament with no government or real influence. Voters are rational, they understand that the EU elections aren’t as decisive for their daily lives or their future".