Every five years EU citizens choose who represents them in the European Parliament, the directly-elected institution that defends their interests in the EU decision-making process.
Countries in the EU have different voting traditions and each one may decide on the exact election day within a four-day span, from Thursday to Sunday (when most countries hold their elections).
The allocation of seats is laid down in the European treaties. It takes into account the size of the population of each country, with smaller countries getting more seats than strict proportionality would imply.
Sabine Lautenschläger, member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, is set to speak. Her speeches often contain indications on the future possible direction of monetary policy.
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda (March 2013) is to speak. As head of the BOJ which sets short term interest rates, he has a major influence over the value of the JPY. Traders watch his speeches closely as they are often used to drop subtle hints regarding future monetary policy and interest rate shifts.
His comments may determine a short-term positive or negative trend.
