EU elections

The Guardian view on European elections: one continent, one ballot

Elections to the European parliament can be awkward for admirers of the EU. A ballot in every member state is the most directly democratic feature of the union’s institutional architecture and such a poll should, in theory, bind millions of people in a sense of collective political enterprise.

In practice, it rarely feels that way. Awareness of the parliament’s functions is thin. Turnout is low. Parties tend to reserve their best candidates for domestic races. An election of apparently minor consequence invites protest voting, which yield MEPs who have no interest in doing the job properly.

Britain has exemplified that problem. The European parliament gave Ukip a platform and finance when Nigel Farage was unable to capture a Westminster seat. Now Mr Farage sees next month’s ballot as the chance for more wrecking, this time at the head of a new Brexit party. It is still possible for the vote to be aborted, if Theresa May’s EU withdrawal agreement is approved in the next couple of weeks. That seems unlikely.