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Parlamentet og EU’s demokrati

Explore the crisis of democracy in the EU, the role of the European Parliament, perspectives on the democratic deficit, and more. Analyze the democratic dimension of EU institutions and the challenges faced by representative democracy in the EU.

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Parlamentet og EU’s demokrati

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  1. Parlamentet og EU’s demokrati EU i undervisningen – sådan! DEO konference, 30 januar 2014 Laura Horn, Roskilde Universitet

  2. Outline Democracy in the EU • Crisis of the EU, crisis of democracy? • Perspectives on the ’democratic deficit’? Representative democracy and the role of the European Parliament (EP) A few points about the 2014 elections

  3. Signs of a democratic crisis? • Institutional set-up (e.g. balance of power between legislative, executive and judiciary) • Functional indicators, e.g. electoral turn-out • Still lack of a European public sphere and significant European civil society • Increasing political, economic and social conflicts between Member States • Lack of solidarity between European citizens

  4. Perspectives on democracy in the EU Democratic dimension of the EU institutions/apparatus (input/output legitimacy, accountability, transparency?) AND Democracy in the Members of the EU – and beyond! (e.g.new member states, democracy promotion) Different perspectives, e.g.: • ’Standard model’ of representative (post) national democracy • Incremental federalism, ’towards ever closer union’ • Cosmopolitan democracy – beyond the nation state, transnational citizenship, new forms of political participation Problems with ’standard model’ e.g. • Equal representation of Member States • No possibility to replace incumbent EU leaders/politicians Key question – can we apply the standards of national-level democracy to the EU?

  5. Representative democracy in the EU EP elections still low salience (’second-order national elections’) for electorate, often more volatile (i.e. vote-switching) • Fragmented along national lines, alliance politics and not sufficient democratic legitimacy? • Role of Europarties and party groups The EP in the context of Eurozone crisis ? Lisbon Treaty as an attempt to democratise the EU ’This treaty marks a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as openly as possible, and a closely as possible to the citizens’ (Art 1)

  6. 2014 EP election 8th (!) direct elections, taking place betweem 22-25 May (set by each MS) New features (Lisbon Treaty): - Budgetary and legislative powers widened • Currently 766 MEPS (754 + 12 for Croatia), after elections reduced to 751 • Expected high turnover for MEPs • EP elects EC president (hence the earlier election date) - to take office 1 November • Increase in eurosceptic parties in EP?

  7. Questions/comments? Please get in touch  Laura Horn, lhorn@ruc.dk We’re also planning a series of discussion evening in Roskilde (Stændertorvet) in March and April, come and join us!

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