“‘Revolt of the Elites’: Jose Ortega y Gasset and the European Union’s Democratic Deficit”

My Interest in the EU Interest in the American Founding Period, for example, The Federalist Papers Study Abroad EU Certificate Program But why Jose Ortega y Gasset?

European Union Countries

Growth of the EU The original six members of the EEC (and before that of the ECSC) were France, Germany, Italy, and the 3 “Benelux” countries. Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and the UK joined between 1973 and 1986. Austria, Sweden and Finland joined what had by then become the EU in 1995. In 2004 the EU admitted Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the three Baltic States. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007 and Croatia in 2013.

Growth of EU cont’d Today there are 28 27 EU countries “Candidate Countries”: Albania, Iceland, Montenegro Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey “Potential Candidate Countries”: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo

How Many Official Languages in EU? Bulgarian             French Maltese             Finnish Lithuanian Swedish

Cont’d Croatian German             Polish Czech Greek Portuguese

Cont’d Danish Hungarian Romanian Dutch Irish Slovak

Cont’d English Italian Slovenian Estonian Latvian Spanish

Twenty Four Languages Around 5400 Translators and Interpreters Costs About 10 billion euro/year What about English . . . ?

Historical Development of the EU: Treaties, not Constitutions European Coal & Steel Community (1952) Treaties of Rome: EEC & Euratom Treaties (1957) Treaty of Maastricht (1992) Common Curency (January 1, 1999)

Historical Development (cont’d) Treaty of Nice (2001) (rejected by Ireland) Attempts at European Constitution (rejected by France and the Netherlands in 2005) Treaty of Lisbon (2009) (rejected by Ireland) Unanimous Agreement Required on all Treaties

Institutional Structure of the EU: Complex & Unconventional European Council European Commission (Brussels) (estimated 25,000- 40,000 work for Commission) Council of Ministers (Brussels) Court of Justice (Luxembourg) European Parliament (Brussels, Strasbourg)

One Week Each Month: From Brussels to Strasbourg . . .

. . . Then Back to Brussels for Three Weeks (180 million euro / year

What Do Americans Think of the EU?

Answer: We Don’t Think Much About the EU

American Conservatives Tend to Criticize the EU Why? They think it is utopian, especially in regard to the nation-state They think it is unable to deal with international threats They think it is it is built on flawed notions of human nature, especially the nature of those in power They think it is undemocratic (a democratic deficit)

What is a “Democratic Deficit”? A condition that occurs when the principles of a representative government are compromised by the institutions and/or processes of that same government. But that’s not enough . . .

What is a “Democratic Deficit”? (cont’d) A condition that occurs when the principles of representative government are compromised by the institutions and/or processes of a democracy—beyond that which is politically sustainable.

Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955) Revolt of the Masses (La Rebelion de las Masas)

Themes From Revolt of the Masses (1930) España Invertebrada (1922) (a “warm up” to Revolt) “Hyper-Democracy” “The need for elite governance France, Germany & UK A new Europe will take on some sort of “spiritual dimensions (contrast Miguel de Unamuno) But . . .What is the “Revolt”?

Revolt of the Masses “THERE is one fact which, whether for good or ill, is of utmost importance in the public life of Europe at the present moment. This fact is the accession of the masses to complete social power. As the masses, by definition, neither should nor can direct their own personal existence, and still less rule society in general, this fact means that actually Europe is suffering from the greatest crisis that can afflict peoples, nations, and civilisation.”

Is the EU a “Revolt of the ‘Elites?’ ” Leadership too Elitist? Lack of “transparency”? Only one “political branch”: EU Parliament? Lack of appreciation of the democratic process? In other words, if “the masses” can assume too much power, can the “elites” assume too much power?

America’s Democratic Deficit Attitude of the American Founders: we have a “republic” not a democracy” A. Hamilton on T. Jefferson: he is somewhat “fanatical” about democracy Electoral College Election of Senators (17th Amendment) So . . . Originally the only popularly elected national institution in the U.S. was the House of Representatives

Concerns over Democracy in Europe

Treaty of Nice & Treaty of Lisbon Procedurally suspect? Ireland's EU Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy stated that if the Lisbon Treaty had been put to a public vote across the European Union, it would have been rejected by 95 percent of EU member states.(Sally McNamara, Heritage Foundation)

Student Question at European Commission, Brussels “How Can You Justify Pursuing Democratic Ends by Undemocratic Means?"

Nature of the European Commission One huge bureaucracy 32, 546 work for the Commision (http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/hr_key_figures_ en.pdf) (does this include “consultants,” etc.?) Arguably, the most powerful institution in the EU But not elected Compare with American bureaucracy: 21, 995, 000 national, state and local (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Subordinate Role of Only Elected EU Institution: The EU Parliament Over 700 MEPs Can’t Initiate Legislation Compare Chinese National Peoples’ Congress: almost 3000

The Growth of “Euroskeptic” and “Populist” Parties

EU Parlimentary Election Turnout (1979-2014) EU Countries 1979 (EU 9) 2014 (EU 28) All EU Countries 61.99% 42.61% Belgium 96.38% 89.64 % France 60.71% 42.43% United Kingdom 32.35% 35.60% Germany 65.73% 48.10% Bulgaria 29.22% (2007) 35.84%

Conclusion: Is There A Democratic Deficit? The European Union: A Citizens Guide (2016) by Chris Bickerton: Yes, there is a democratic deficit but it is between the EU citizens and their respective national governments, not between EU citizens and the European Union Governance

Is There A Democratic Deficit? (cont’d) This would explain why now we are talking more about “populism” in Europe than just “euroskepticism This, more than anything else, may explain the recent American presidential election

What Now? Federalist Paper #85 Time Experience Trial and Error