MEPs have 'increasing power, decreasing legitimacy'

The European Parliament's powers have been steadily increasing in its 50 years of history and the institution has today become a real player in some areas of European politics. But voter disinterest remains one of the main challenges it still has to face - and an element likely to play a key role in the European elections next June.

Today the European Parliament has 785 members (compared to 142 when it was first created), works in 23 official languages (rather than four, as it used to i...