Democratic Theory and the Constitutional Politics of the European Union

In: Journal of European public policy, Band 4, Heft 4, S. 665-669

Abstract

A review essay on books by (1) S. Andersen & K. Eliassen (Eds), The European Union: How Democratic Is It? (London: Sage, 1996); (2) S. Gustavsson & L. Lewin (Eds), The Future of the Nation-State: Essays on Cultural Pluralism and Political Integration (Stockholm: Nerenius & Santerus, 1996); (3) J. Hayward (Ed), The Crisis of Representation in Europe (London: Frank Cass, 1995); & (4) J. Hayward (Ed), Elitism, Populism and European Politics (Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1996). These texts investigate the discrepancy between democratic principles & political practice in the European Union. The problematic political principles are identified in every text: the European practice of "unification by stealth"; the appointment of government officials based on technical proficiency rather than political representativeness; European integration independent of public & electoral consent; the complexity of the Europe Union's political structure; the relative weakness of transnational political parties; the presence of a clandestine network of political representation; & the superimposition of the Union's government on the institutions of member states. In ameliorating these problems, it is recommended that the tenets of constitutional democracy undergo re-examination to procure democratic legitimacy; Karl Popper's notion of democracy as institutionalized discourse & critical argument is valuable to such a project. It is concluded that democratic legitimacy for the European Union remains unattainable until integration by stealth is replaced by constitutional democracy. J. W. Parker