The European Parliament elections in May 2014 may be the first genuinely ‘European’ elections.
This might seem an odd claim, given that the Parliament has been elected every five years since 1979. Until now, though, ‘Europe’ has actually played a minor role in these contests. As mid-term contests in national election cycles, European Parliament elections have been dominated by national politicians and parties rather than by European-level politicians and parties or the future direction of the European Union.