Ahead of EU vote, a struggle to close the 'democratic deficit'

A supporter of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) holds up a EU flag during the speech of German Chancellor and CDU leader Angela Merkel at an election rally in Berlin May 14, 2014. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - As exercises in democracy go, this week's EU election rivals the United States, India and Brazil for sheer numbers.

But when it comes to voter recognition it is a very different story. The lead candidates could not even dream of comparisons with Barack Obama or Narendra Modi and therein lies a problem for the European Union as it battles to make itself more relevant and accountable to its citizens.