The UK will hold European Parliament elections on May 23, but what are the elections about, and how do they work?

The European Parliament consists of 751 MEPs - soon to be 705 post-Brexit - who are elected every 5 years.

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Based across Europe in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, the European Parliament represents the interests of EU citizens at the European level and abroad. It elects the President of the European Commission and holds the body to account.

All EU citizens who are registered to vote can, but voting methods differ slightly in each country according to laws.

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The number of seats available to each country varies depending on the size of the country, with the UK having 73 seats on a population of 66 million, and the likes of Germany having 96 seats with a population of 82 million.

Under a system known as the d’Hondt method, parties put forward a list of candidates who are then elected on a proportional basis