EU elections take place next weekend, and from Lisbon to Riga, European streets are lined with billboards. YouTube advertisements target the youth vote. But no amount of PR and sloganeering looks likely to prevent a worryingly low turnout. Recent polls predict that only a third of eligible voters may cast their ballots. Turnout for the European Parliament vote has been falling steadily since the late 1970s, when it used to exceed 60 per cent.