EUROGOV
No. C-05-02
Andreas Follesdal and Simon Hix
Why There is a Democratic Deficit in the EU: A Response
to Majone and Moravcsik
|
|
|
Published: March 14, 2005
Abstract
In a series of recent papers, Giandomenico Majone and Andrew
Moravcsik have ‘raised the bar’ in the debate
over the so-called ‘democratic deficit’ in the
European Union. These two influential scholars both contend
that much of the existing analysis is flawed and that the
EU is as democratic as it could, and even should, be. We accept
many of Moravcsik’s and Majone’s arguments. However,
we disagree about one key element: that a democratic polity
requires contestation for political leadership and argument
over the direction of the policy agenda. This aspect, which
is ultimately the difference between a democracy and an enlightened
form of authoritarianism, is an essential element of even
the ‘thinnest’ theories of democracy, yet is conspicuously
weak in the EU.
Keywords:
democracy, European elections, legitimacy, non-majoritarian
institutions, normative political theory, political parties,
public opinion, Constitution for Europe, agenda-setting
Andreas Follesdal
– University of Oslo
e-mail:
andreas.follesdal@nchr.uio.no
Simon Hix – London School
of Economics and Political Science
e-mail:
S.Hix@lse.ac.uk
© 2005 Andreas Follesdal
and Simon Hix
Citing this EUROGOV
paper:
Follesdal, Andreas, and Simon Hix. 2005. Why There is a Democratic
Deficit in the EU: A Response to Majone and Moravcsik. European
Governance Papers (EUROGOV) No. C-05-02,
http://www.connex-network.org/eurogov/pdf/egp-connex-C-05-02.pdf
or
you will find a revised version of 'Why
There is a Democratic Deficit in the EU: A Response to Majone
and Moravcsik' in:
Journal of Common Market Studies, 2006, Vol 44, No 3, 533-62.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5965.2006.00650.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1468-5965.2006.00650.x
|