Cooper, R. (2014) “The European Union does not have a democratic deficit – it has a democratic surplus“, LSE EUROPP, 11 Ιουνίου.
The European Union has often been accused of having a ‘democratic deficit’. Sir Robert Cooper writes that what the EU actually suffers from is a ‘democratic surplus’: elections are held, but turnout remains extremely low due to a lack of interest among citizens. As national parliaments appear to bring greater legitimacy than the European Parliament, he argues that the EU should consider returning to a system in which MEPs are appointed by national politicians rather than through European elections.
The European Union is the world’s most successful experiment in regional integration. Those nearby want to join; those further away want to imitate – Mr Putin’s Eurasian Union is only the latest example – but it is still an experiment; and as well as successes there are failures that should be corrected.
The elections for the European Parliament are one of these. Overall turnout remains around 43 per cent; in Slovakia, a country that has done well out of EU membership, it was 13 per cent. In Egypt a turnout of 48 per cent is taken as evidence that the election is not legitimate. If there was any increase in the turnout for the European elections this time it came in the votes for fringe parties.
Σχετικές αναρτήσεις:
- Booth, S. (2014) “The European Parliament is a failed experiment in pan-European democracy – national parliaments are the key to solving the democratic deficit“, LSE EUROPP, 21 Μαΐου.
- Piedrafita, S. & Renman, V. (2014) “The ‘Personalisation’ of the European Elections: A half-hearted attempt to increase turnout and democratic legitimacy?“, Politics and Institutions, EPIN Papers, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), 11 Απριλίου.
- Mc Donnell, D. (2014) “The minimal rise in turnout in the EP elections shows that voter apathy is still the greatest threat to European democracy“, LSE EUROPP, 31 Μαΐου.