330,000 persons eligible to vote in European elections

In 100 days time, 330,000 voters will be asked to cast their vote in Malta to elect the next European Parliament elections.

The European-wide elections to be held in May are the second biggest democratic exercise in the world, with 400 million people eligible to cast their vote for a new European Parliament.

This year, the 751 elected MEPs will not only set the course of European policies for the next five years but also elect the leader of the EU's executive body, the European Commission President.

More than 330,000 of these voters will be eligible to vote in Malta on 24 May to elect the country's six MEPs.

The European Parliament Office in Malta is currently leading an information campaign to explain the relevance of these elections for different segments of Maltese society through, amongst others, thematic activities and interactive campaigns through social media.

Following a series of discussions on business-related issues leading to the launch of a Joint Maltese Business Manifesto for Europe on the 14 February, the main theme until the beginning of March will be quality of work and employment-related rights.

Throughout March, the campaign will focus on youths and new voters. All these initiatives are being organised together with social partners, civil society and candidates contesting the elections.

The office provides updates and information through its activity in the traditional media and online, through its presence on Facebook and Twitter (www.facebook.com/parlamentewropew and @EP_Malta).

The increase in the Parliament's powers since 2009 has started to make itself felt as the EU sought to pull through the economic crisis and MEPs drew up legislation, inter alia on effective budgetary discipline, the winding down of failing banks and caps on bankers' bonuses.

The forthcoming elections will allow voters to contribute to strengthening or changing the direction that Europe takes in tackling the economic crisis and in many other issues affecting people's daily lives.

For the first time ever, the composition of the new Parliament will determine who will lead the next European Commission, the EU's executive body, which initiates legislation and supervises its implementation.

Under the new rules, EU government leaders, who will propose a candidate for the post of the future Commission President, must do so on the basis of the election results.

The European Parliament will elect the new Commission President by a majority of the component members, i.e. at least half of the 751 MEPs to be elected (376).

European political parties will put forward their candidates for this leading position in the EU before the European elections, allowing citizens to have a say over next Commission President.

The new political majority emerging from the elections will also shape European legislation over the next five years in areas from the single market to immigration.

The Parliament - the only directly elected EU institution - is now a linchpin of the European decision-making system and has an equal say with national governments on virtually all EU laws. Voters will be more influential than ever.

• Parliament currently has seven political groups, representing more than 160 national parties.

• According to Parliament's rules, members of a group must share a "political affiliation" and must include at least 25 members from at least one quarter of Member States. Members who do not wish or cannot be assigned to a group are called "non-attached".

• The minimum voting age is 18 in all countries except Austria, where it is 16. The minimum age for election candidates varies from country to country, though in most cases it is also 18.

• Voting is compulsory in Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and Luxembourg.

• At 78.8%, at the last European elections, Malta had the highest rate of voter turnout amongst the countries where voting is not compulsory.