Millions of Europeans vote in EU elections
At
stake this weekend is the make-up of the next European Parliament, the
direct link between Europeans and the EU's institutions.
So
Europeans in 27 countries are choosing who will represent them in
Brussels and Strasbourg, the two locations where the Parliament sits.
There will be 720 MEPs in the next Parliament, and each country has a
number in line with the size of its population.
They
will pass laws that affect the lives of every EU citizen and they have
to endorse the EU's annual budget, which this year reached
€189bn(£160bn). The Parliament shares that power with the Council, made
up the EU's national governments.
The
next Parliament will shape the direction of the EU over the next five
years, on climate change and migration, greater integration or increased
nationalism.,
