How Dem + Legit is the EU?

Question 1

What is democracy in the EU?

Answer 1

• Gallie: Multiple definitions of democracy (thin and thick, broad + precise)
• (less than a state but more than an international organization) makes it difficult to determine how it must be democratic

Question 2

How do we define legitimacy at the EU level?

Answer 2

• Input vs. output
• Based around trust of the governing body

Input: If one is actively involved, they believe it to be legitimate, even if the outcome is not what they desired
Output: When satisfied with outcome, regardless of involvement (this was present before economic crisis)

Question 3

What is the democratic deficit and how did it occur at EU level?

Answer 3

• When a democratic organization cannot fulfill the democratic principles in its practices
• Transfer of policy-making power from national to EU level was not accompanied by sufficient democratic control at EU level
• EU integration sucks power from the national parliaments and gives it more to the executives as they were the only link from national to EU at the time

Question 4

Moraviscks argument (No deficit as no need for democracy) and critiques?

Answer 4

• EU = Constrained institution
• Output legitimacy purely by maintaing market stability
• EU decisions ultimately done by nations

Critique:

• EU is more than just a market: Huge norm spillover with the economic policies and regulations
• This would only apply to the beginnings of the EU time

Question 5

How is EU considered to have a democratic deficit?

Answer 5

• No demos (people only consider themselves by their nationality and don’t know EU politicians)
  ¬ Commission are unelected, so you cant ‘throw the rascals out’
  ¬ EU decision making behind closed doors

Question 6

How is the EU attempting to fix its democratic deficit and increase its demos through Maastricht?

Answer 6

Charter of Fundamental Rights = Attempt to increase demos

Subsidiarity = To increase EU’s democratic accountability

European Citizenship = increase demos (EU Identity)

EP approves Commission

Question 7

Did the implementations during Maastricht help EU become more democratic and what was done?

Answer 7

• No, in the eyes of European citizens, it was no more legitimate arguably due to the shadow over the commission and so Commissions ‘white paper’ came in to increase its legitimacy
• Created confusion on who made decisions, as in national government it would be the parliament

Question 8

How is the EU attempting to fix its democratic deficit through Lisbon?

Answer 8

• Representative democracy:
  ¬ European citizen’s initiative: if 1million citizens come together and sign a petition they can arguably initiate policies through the commission
• First time its outlined its democratic principles, allowing for participation

Question 9

What impact did the Economic Crisis have?

Answer 9

• slow response =Output legitimacy low
• Demonstrated the shortcomings of EMU
• Lack of MS solidarity (question)
• EP and national governments not included = Input legitimacy low

Question 10

Did the EU need democratic accountability at the start?

Answer 10

NO:

• ‘Monnet Method’ had a strong commission as the executive with the Council always having the final say (output, elite-driven project)
• Purely economic at the time (EEC)

Question 11

How does there being no demos in the EU affect its legitimacy?

Answer 11

• Low voter turnout due to lack of demos = EP illegitimate
• Arguably this is because there is no ‘public sphere’ in which citizens are informed on
  ¬ No media and no way for public to engage (arguably changed with lobbying transparency and increase)