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

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

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

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?

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)

2014 EP election 8th (!) direct elections, taking place betweem May (set by each MS) New features (Lisbon Treaty): - Budgetary and legislative powers widened -Currently 766 MEPS ( 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?

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