09/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - German Social Democrat Jo Leinen, MEP and president of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) is encouraging European voters to "seize their democratic rights and go vote" in the European elections. This year, these elections will be historic, because voters from the ten new Member States will be voting in them for the first time…who have been separated from the free part of Europe for half a century". Leinen said that 70% of national legislation stemmed from the European level. The press statement pointed out that as well as Jo Leinen, two other members of the UEF Bureau were standing in the EP elections: Alojz Peterle from Slovenia and former member of the European Convention Presidium, and MEP outgoing Thomas Mann of the CDU.