Description
Book SynopsisThe discussion about a constitution for the European Union and its rejection by referendum in two of the EU founding member states has once again spurred public and scholarly interest in the democratic quality and potential of the European Union. Debating the Democratic Legitimacy of the European Union brings together distinguished thinkers from law, political science, sociology, and political philosophy to explore the potential for democratically legitimate governance in the European Union. Drawing on different theoretical perspectives and strands from democratic theory, this volume is the first of its kind to overcome the present state of fragmentation in the debate about the conditions and possible remedies for what is often called the democratic deficit of the European Union. Among the pressing questions addressed by the contributors are: What future is there for parliamentary democracy in the European Union? Can we observe the evolution of a European public sphere and civil societ
Trade ReviewA stellar book on the major debates on democratic legitimacy in the European Union. It is a 'must-read' for all those concerned about the democratic deficit in the EU and who are asking: Does it exist? How does it manifest itself? Can it be fixed? The contributors constitute an impressive lineup of scholars, including most of 'the great and the good' on democracy in the EU. -- Vivien A. Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration and Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University
This book provides a much needed, very thorough overview of an extremely complex field of research on European integration, made even more complex by the intricate interdependence between normative political theory and empirical research. It stands out in the 'legitimacy-deficit literature' as being both remarkably even-handed and academically sophisticated. In addition to including thorough reviews of the current state of the discipline, the collection provides constructive indications of how to reduce the present democratic deficits, by fine tuning the workings of national parliaments and the European Parliament, or by correcting some of the weaknesses of 'network governance.' -- Andreas Føllesdal, University of Oslo
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Charting Crowded Territory: Debating the Democratic Legitimacy of the European Union Part I: Democracy: The Constitutional Principle of the EU Chapter 2: A Disputed Idea Becomes Law: Remarks on European Democracy as a Legal Principle Part II: What Future for Parliamentary Democracy in the EU? Chapter 3: Expanding National Parliamentary Control: Does it Enhance European Democracy? Chapter 4: The European Parliament between Policy-Making and Control Chapter 5: Constructing Parliamentary Democracy in the European Union: How Did It Happen? Chapter 6: Parliamentary Representation in a Decentred Polity Part III: The Public Sphere and Civil Society: Pre-Requisites for Democratically Legitimate Rule-Making Chapter 7: Pre-Requisites of Transnational Democracy and Mechanisms of Sustaining it: The Case of the European Union Chapter 8: The Europeanization of Protest: A Typology and Empirical Evidence Part IV: Democracy and Political Participation Chapter 9: Participatory Governance and European Democracy Chapter 10: Some Considerations on Participation in Participatory Governance Chapter 11: The Organization of Interests and Democracy in the European Union Part V: Deliberative Democracy Chapter 12: The Euro-Polity in Perspective: Some Normative Lessons from Deliberative Democracy Chapter 13: Reconceptualizing the Supremacy of European Law: A Plea for a Supranational Conflict of Laws
