Voorzitter Europees Parlement Pat Cox blijft in de race voor opvolging Prodi (en)

In an interview with French daily Le Monde, the President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, has pleaded with European voters to understand the importance of the forthcoming European elections.

The Irishman - who has been President of the Parliament for two and a half years - said, "I would like to issue an appeal to citizens to make them understand that when they send someone to Strasbourg, they are giving that person considerable powers of influence to make laws that will affect their daily lives".

"In the fields in which the Parliament has legislative power, the influence of a good MEP is the same as that of one of the 25 member states", continued Mr Cox.

Recent polls have shown that voter apathy in the EU remains high with a low turnout expected for the forthcoming poll.

Commission President? Moi?

Mr Cox - who has been widely touted as the next Commission President - refused to rule himself out of the race.

Asked if he was indeed a candidate, Mr Cox said, "I cannot give a transparent answer to your question, because the way in which the President of the Commission is chosen today is very opaque. If there was an election for the Commission President - a campaign during which one would be able to present a programme and a vision - in such a Europe, I would be a candidate".

The next Commission President will be chosen by the EU heads of state and government at their next meeting on 17-18 June.

Other names in the hat include Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the prime minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker - although he has publicly ruled himself out.