Low turnout fears as campaigning begins

By Mark Devenport BBC Northern Ireland political editor

With nominations now closed, the seven local European election candidates are off and running. Has anyone noticed?

In 1999, 57% of voters took part in Northern Ireland's European Parliamentary elections.

With Ian Paisley and John Hume not standing, a low turnout is feared

This was seven points higher than in the Irish Republic and more than double the UK turnout figure of 24%.

The relatively healthy turnout may have been stimulated by the battle for top spot between Ian Paisley and John Hume and the interest in politics encouraged by the previous year's Good Friday Agreement.

This year, there is no Mr Paisley and no Mr Hume, coupled with a general malaise as the suspension of Stormont continues.

On top of that, we have the warning from the Electoral Commission that Northern Ireland could be following in the footsteps of Great Britain when it comes to voter disengagement, particularly amongst the young.

All this means that the candidates will have to work extra hard to ensure that 10 June does not mark an historic low turnout.

European issues

They have started with the usual mixture of photo opportunities and walkabouts - Sinn Fein's Bairbre De Brun taking an early lead by limboing under a pole at the Balmoral show.

The DUP's Jim Allister branded Ms De Brun a witch, and tried to scare unionists by holding out the prospect of republicans topping the poll.

So what about European issues? If the results of last year's Assembly elections and the 2001 Westminster elections are repeated, Sinn Fein should win a seat, probably at the expense of the SDLP.

Although on a local level this might mean that two unionists and one nationalists are simply replaced by two unionists and a different nationalist, it would mark a great switch in European terms.

Ms De Brun denies she is a Euro sceptic, but Sinn Fein is suspicious of a European super state extending its reach into areas like defence and foreign policy.

As things stand, the party will be campaigning against the new European constitution.

By contrast, the SDLP's Martin Morgan intends, if elected, to be a leading light in the "yes" campaign.

At his campaign launch, Mr Morgan told voters they could not afford to send three anti-European MEPs to Europe.

Same direction

There is no such divide on the unionist side, with the DUP's Jim Allister avowedly euro-sceptic and the UUP's Jim Nicholson tacking in the same direction.

Both candidates criticised the independent John Gilliland for campaigning on a "Europe First" rather than an "Ulster First" slogan.

This made it all the more surprising when the former Ulster Farmers' Union president refused to take a position on either the euro or the new European constitution when interviewed on BBC's Hearts and Minds programme.

The suspicion must be that Mr Gilliland does not want to put himself firmly in the Yes camp for fear of alienating sceptical farmers who might otherwise give him a preference.

However, his support for Gordon Brown's wait-and-see approach to the euro sits somewhat uncomfortably alongside the policy of Alliance - his principal backers - who have lobbied in favour of the single currency.

Fine print

Of the other candidates, the Greens' Lindsay Whitcroft declares herself enthusiastic about both the euro and the new European constitution.

However, the Socialist Environmental Alliance's Eamonn McCann opposes the euro because of what he sees as the harsh financial conditions attached to the single currency when it is being enforced on countries like Poland.

A similar concern about a free-market privatised Europe puts him in the No camp, so far as the new draft constitution is concerned.

Will people look at the European fine print, or are we about to witness the traditional "beauty contest" between the mainstream parties?

Come 10 June, the candidates will no doubt be glad of any support they can get, no matter what concerns are running through the voters' minds.