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The European Parliament on Tuesday launched its awareness and information campaign in the run-up to the 2014 general elections that will create a new generation of European Union leadership.
"EU voters have the exclusive possibility to determine the political majorities of the Parliament, which will set the course for forging legislation, challenging bad policies and leading the debate in the five years following the elections," Anni Podimata, the Parliament's vice president responsible for communication, said during the plenary session.
The campaign is designed, step by step, to explain the Parliament's functions and their implications for EU citizens, as well as to hold interactive events on key topics such as economy and jobs across Europe.
A 52-second campaign video will make its appearance in all 28 member states, with a promise that "This time it's different", partly indicating the Parliament's increased powers since Lisbon Treaty.
The Parliament has been directly elected every five years since 1979. The election turnout in 2009 only stood at 43 percent of all European voters, putting the EU's democratic legitimacy into huge debates.
There are widespread concerns about the turnout of the May 2014 elections, as many Europeans reportedly lose faith in the EU system after years of economic and debt crises and rising unemployment rate across Europe.
Less than four in 10 Europeans felt their voices would count in the EU, according to a Eurobarometer survey released last week.
Local media also reported that a total of 16 million euros (21 million dollars) would be spent on persuading people to go to the polls, a third of which would focus on social media projects.
