The European Parliament has an obvious image problem that could be fixed with lessons from Ikea, BBC's correspondent explains as he travels through Sweden.

“Sweden is such a delightful place, it seems desperately unfair to focus on just one of its many gifts to the world”, writes British correspondent Jonny Dymond who has left the BBC Brussels bureau to take the temperature on nine EU states ahead of next month's European elections.

But there’s one thing in particular he likes to highlight from his travel in Sweden; the impact that the furniture store Ikea has on people’s everyday life all over the world, as a consideration in contrast to the low interest in EU politics, that also has a direct impact on everyday life.

“The question must be asked: has Ikea, the Swedish home furnishings-to-meatballs retail behemoth, done more to unify Europe than the European Parliament?” Jonny Dymond writes in his mirthful report. “Perhaps that's the wrong way to phrase the question. Perhaps it should be: how does Ikea manage to unify Europeans around its brand and its products, where the parliament so often fails to do so?”

While most Europeans seams ignorant regarding the upcoming election for the EU Parliament, Ikea manage to get “superfans” in all European countries .

According to Per Olof Berg, professor of brand marketing at the University of Stockholm, modern branding is about the interplay between the customers and the company where customers pick companies for their own purposes. Ikea, doubtless, provides values strong enough to fill peoples homes and life.

The European Parliament, on the other hand, has obviously a dilemma in creating values for people to believe in. It’s is too remote from voters and too difficult to communicate with.

"I think the political parties have been too afraid of talking or discussing values. I think there is an opening now when we are talking [about the] environment, to connect shopping, environment, consuming, how we live”, says former Swedish MEP Annelie Hulten, now a senior member of Gothenburg town council, to BBC, acknowledges that the European Parliament has an image problem.

Despite the fact that EU politics and furniture are “chalk and cheese”, Jonny Dymond sees a pattern that could be helpful for the European politicians in order to gain trust and reliance among the general public.

“Ikea gives people a degree of control, or at least the illusion of it. The parliament gives them a vote once every five years and then hands down laws. In amongst the bookcases, the tea lights and the table lamps, there may be lessons for legislatures everywhere”, he writes.