Three hundred and fifty million voters across the European Union will be participating in Europe's parliamentary elections next month in the sixth EP poll since 1979. After India, this is the largest electorate in the world to vote in a single election.

For the 10 new member states, this will be the first time that the citizens of these countries, including Malta, will have the opportunity to vote in a European election on supposedly European issues.

The idea of having a European Parliament, where representatives of Europe's citizens meet to discuss pan-European matters, to legislate on European affairs (within a limited area) and to keep a check on European institutions such as the European Commission is certainly a good one.

The EU has deepened over the years and become more integrated, and member states have agreed to share their sovereignty over a wide range of areas. Having a European Parliament therefore makes sense and its powers and responsibilities will increase whenever there is a consensus for this among the member states.

Supposedly, voters are meant to cast their ballot for the political party they can relate to on European matters. For example, what type of Europe do we want - a federal Europe or a Europe of nation states? Should Turkey be allowed to join the EU? Should Christianity be mentioned in Europe's Constitution? Should EU member states retain their veto over areas such as tax, defence and foreign policy? Should Europe reform its labour markets? Does Europe need a more liberal economic policy to compete with the United States? These are all issues on which there is a wide range of diverse opinions across the European political spectrum.

So far, however, the trend during European elections since 1979 has been for most voters to vote on domestic issues, and this election will be no different. This is unfortunate but understandable. First of all, the electorate likes to be given a chance to give its verdict on its government's performance during its term of office. This no different to many local government elections held in Europe where voters often send a message to their central government. Such elections often serve as a litmus test for the national government of the day.

In Germany, France, Italy and Britain, for example, the ruling parties are not particularly popular, the latter because of the Iraqi war and the others because of the state of the economy and the rather painful economic reform that these governments are trying to push through. It would be surprising if any of these ruling parties actually do well in June's European election. A German, French or Italian voter worried about pension reform that his government is attempting to introduce is more likely to keep this in mind and vote accordingly rather than vote on a European issue which does not directly affect his everyday life.

Another reason why many European voters tend to keep domestic issues in mind when casting their ballot is that there is the perception, which is not entirely incorrect, that the European Parliament is a faraway institution which has little relevance for the day-to-day lives of the average European citizen. After all, the EP's jurisdiction is on European issues and it does not have a say in how domestic legislation should shaped.

Furthermore, can we really expect Europeans, at this point in time, to decide which party to vote for on the basis of whether Turkey should join the EU or whether Christianity should be mentioned in Europe's Constitution? This is perhaps an over-simplification of the situation but I think I have made my point.

With time, however, I am sure that the importance of the European Parliament will continue to grow and voters will understand its importance. After all, the Parliament was only set up in 1979 and until 1992, when the Maastricht Treaty came about, it was really nothing more than a debating society. Today, however, four-fifths of EU legislation requires the approval of the EP besides that of the member states. Even since Maastricht the Parliament has been given more and more responsibilities and the draft European constitution proposes to give this legislative body more power over Europe's budget and in areas such as justice.

The main political groupings in the European Parliament are the European People's Party and European Democrats (Christian Democrats and British Conservatives), European Socialists, European Liberals, the Greens, the Union for Europe of Nations (right-wing nationalist parties), the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (mainly Communists and far left parties) and non-attached MPs (mainly eurosceptics and French hunters).

A recent survey conducted by the London School of Economics predicts that the centre-right EPP-ED will emerge as the largest bloc in the Parliament and that voter turnout will increase as a result of the enthusiasm of voters in the new member states. Five years ago voter turnout in the EU of 15 was only 49 per cent. In Britain, for example, considered to be more Eurosceptic that other member states, the turnout was just 24 per cent. Such a low turnout, however, should not be cause for concern. As the EP's becomes greater, this is likely to encourage a higher voter turnout.

A victory for the centre-right would certainly influence the choice of the next EU Commission President to replace Romano Prodi. Although it is the heads of government who decide on this appointment, the European Parliament must approve such a nomination and the People's Party is likely to insist that this job goes to a Christian Democrat. Some of the names being mentioned are Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean Claude Juncker. We shall have to wait and see.