To what extent does the EU suffer from a democratic deficit?
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Course
(PAIR2010)
Institution
University Of Southampton (UOS)
This essay looks at the different definitions of democratic deficit whilst discussing:
- democratic participation (turnout) and representation (EU bodies)
- Problem solving
- pollution and transport
- EU identity
- Benefit of the EU?
To what extent does the EU suffer from a democratic deficit?
A democracy is a system of government where the people can rule and dictate the decisions
themselves (Schmitter and Karl, 1991). While a democratic deficit can simply mean the
'insufficient level of democracy in political institutions... In comparison with a theoretical
ideal of democratic government' (Letki, 2022), there seems to be a wide range of what the
'theoretical ideal of democratic government' is. This essay will be defining a democratic
deficit by looking at three particular variables that focus on the illegitimacy of the EU. Those
three factors which display the sizeable extent that the EU is experiencing a democratic
deficit are democratic participation and representation, problem-solving, and identity.
The original aim of the EU was to increase economic cooperation between six countries,
however, since its formation in 1958, this has evidently expanded with a total membership of
27 European countries (Europa.eu, 2020). The EU is no longer just an economic body, as it
also focuses on multiple global policies such as climate change, security, justice and
migration, with the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the European Council, the European
Commission and the European Parliament (EP) to help enforce and set policy for these
issues.
Democratic participation and representation
It can be argued that the EU is suffering from a democratic deficit based on the democratic
participation and representation of the EU. Firstly, democratic participation would refer to
one’s involvement towards a democratic body which can be demonstrated through turnout in
elections, with many scholars highlighting its importance as ‘political equality requires that
individuals participate in the processes of collective decision making, if not as moral
, requirement and developmental opportunity, then as a strategic necessity’ (Warren, 2002:
677). To highlight the latter half of Warren’s quote, democratic participation and the turnout
in elections is a moral, developmental or strategic ‘necessity’, therefore, the decline in the
EU’s turnout may highlight the deficit that the EU is experiencing.
Figure 1 (Statista and Clark, 2019)
For example, the EP is directly elected every 5 years, therefore the turnout is incredibly
important for the reasons expressed by Warren. Figure 1 displays this decline with the turnout
in 1979 at 61.99 per cent. Since 1979 there has been a steady decline with the 2014 turnout
reaching as low as 42.62 per cent. 1994 was the last EP election with a turnout above 50 per
cent. The 1999 election seemed to have the biggest decline in turnout with a 7.16 per cent
decline. This particularly low turnout reflects the problems of legitimacy for the EP and the
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