ADDRESSING THE DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT

In: The journal of legislative studies, Band 1, Heft 3, S. 177-193

Abstract

IN THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU), POWER HAS CLEARLY PASSED FROM NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE EU. THIS IS A CONSEQUENCE OF MEMBERSHIP AND HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THE SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT AND THE MAASTRICHT TREATY. AS POLICY-MAKING POWER HAS PASSED TO BRUSSELS, SO THOSE SEEKING TO INFLUENCE POLICY HAVE SHIFTED THEIR ATTENTION THERE AS WELL. NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO FORMAL ROLE IN EU POLICY MAKING, EXCEPT INDIRECTLY THROUGH NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS OR IN A SPORADIC, ADVISORY FORM THROUGH THE CONFERENCE OF PARLIAMENTS. ATTEMPTS TO DEVELOP THE MEANS OF EXERTING INFLUENCE HAVE BEEN LIMITED AND LARGELY UNPRODUCTIVE. MANY NATIONAL EUROPEAN COMMITTEES HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY COPING WITH THE BURDEN OF EU DOCUMENTS, AND SOME HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES. THE SHIFT OF POLITICAL POWER UPWARDS TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE EU HAS NOT BEEN MATCHED BY A SHIFT IN DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY, EITHER THROUGH NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS OR AT THE LEVEL OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EP). THE EP HAS INCREASED ITS POWERS ENORMOUSLY BUT IS STILL ONLY ON THE EDGE OF CONSTITUTING A LEGISLATURE. UNTIL POPULAR PERCEPTIONS CHANGE AND THE EP ACQUIRES THE STATUS IT SEEKS, THE DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT NOT ONLY WILL REMAIN BUT MAY BECOME MORE, RATHER THAN LESS, PRONOUNCED.