The politicians' efforts to convince voters of the importance of the European Election do not seem to have been very successful.
There is some logic to this. Who knows the name of his or her MEP in the first place? And what exactly is the European Parliament doing in Brussels? Not much, in fact, because its hands are tied by the rivalries between member states.
Indeed, for all the noise made about "British sovereignty" by most of the parties standing in this election and despite Ukip's strident claim that 60% of Britain's legislation is made in Brussels, all the decisions that matter are actually taken by each one of the EU's national governments, without taking any account of their membership of the EU.
Democratic deficit? Yes, in the Commons!
It's neither Brussels nor the EU which cause what Eurosceptics - and many Labour politicians - call a "democratic deficit". Nor will "bringing back powers from Brussels" - Cameron's demagogic ploy to counter Ukip's attraction for Tory voters - do anything to reduce this "deficit".
Take the main decisions which have undermined the living conditions of the working class majority of this country over the past three decades. Were any of them actually made in Brussels? Not one, in fact!
The privatisation of public services and subsequent privatisation by stealth of the NHS budget under Labour and the ConDems? Neither was decided in Brussels - only by the Commons!
The limitations on workers' rights to take industrial action? Britain is the only EU country in which such limitations exist!
The appalling level of the minimum wage? Not only was Britain the last EU country to have one, but it was set by Labour at a level which was the lowest among the rich EU countries! And this was made even worse by the even lower minimums set for young workers and apprentices. (First year apprentices get just £2.68/hour!)
The derisory level of the state pension? (Full entitlement=£113.10/w). Again, Britain has the lowest among the rich EU countries!
The exorbitant bailout of the banking system, under Labour and the ConDems, which we're made to pay for, through service and welfare cuts? Each EU country had its own, but nowhere was it more generous for the bankers than in Britain!
So, where is the "democratic deficit" that British politicians keep whining about? Actually, if there is a "democratic deficit" in this country, it is not due to the EU, but only to the fact that its political parties and Parliament represent the interests of British capital, against the working class.
The world we need
Of course, in this, Britain is no different from the rest of the EU. Everywhere big business rules. The EU itself was set up to provide big European companies with a large enough "domestic" market to face the competition of their US rivals.
Were it not the case, the EU could have played another role. It could have ensured that workers' rights, wages, etc., were aligned to the highest level across all of Europe. Likewise for women's rights - instead of more restrictive abortion rights in countries like Ireland, Portugal and even British-occupied Northern Ireland!
Thanks to its very British political institutions, Britain has the dubious "privilege" of having the largest number of billionaires per head (not just in the EU, but in the world, apparently!) - many of whom pay no tax, due to Osborne's largesse. And this, when Britain also has Europe's second worst mortality rate among children under-five, just after Malta - which is an unquestionable index of the rise of poverty and poor healthcare!
Those politicians who are trying to whip up fears among voters - the fear of Brussels, of the EU and, even more so, of migrant workers coming from the EU or other parts of the world - are merely trying to divert our attention from the crimes of their profit system and the growing inequalities it feeds.
The working class should have no time for those who try to drive a wedge into its ranks by setting one section of workers against another, or the working class of one country against the working classes of others. National borders have long been justifications for big companies to milk the resources of national states at the expense of their working populations, just as "national interest" has long been a pretext for capital to cover its predatory plunder of poor countries - like Iraq. The working classes of the world have no interest in this.
Marx's old watchword for the International Workingmen's Association of the 19th century remains as valid as ever in the 21st century: "Workers of the world, unite!", so that we can change this world, once and for all.