DO NOW Study the diagram showing the distribution of powers within the EU. What issues does this structure raise for democracy, both in the EU itself and for its member states? Is there a ‘democratic deficit’ in the EU?

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Learning objectives To explain what is meant by a ‘democratic deficit’ in the EU To evaluate allegations of a democratic deficit in the European Union

The ‘democratic deficit’ in the EU Four major criticisms: 1)Interference in national policy-formation 2)A lack of transparency 3)Undemocratic institutions 4)Low levels of political participation

Interference in national policy- formation The EU is alleged to interfere in areas it should not, i.e. policy areas that should be subject to national determination The EU has responded by articulating the principle of subsidiarity (Lisbon, 2007), which states that the EU should only legislate on matters that can’t be dealt with on a national or regional level ‘Yellow card’ appeals process forces Commission to review directives if one third of national governments raise concerns

Interference in national policy- formation (cont’d) Sir John Major, November 2014: "We are not prepared to accept 'ever-closer' union: that has only one destination, and for us there is a limit. Subsidiarity needs to be restated, made legal, and enforced with rigour."

A lack of transparency The EU is criticised because its policies and institutions are complex and hard for non- specialists to understand The EU has responded by attempting to make its legislation simpler, by providing greater public information, and by exposing its inner workings to greater public scrutiny

Undemocratic institutions More power is vested in an unelected institution, the Commission, and an indirectly elected one, the Council, than in the directly- elected European Parliament The EU has responded by giving the Parliament more power vis-à-vis the Commission and the Council

Undemocratic institutions - example The president of the Commission is appointed by the European Council and the appointment confirmed by a vote in the European Parliament This time (May, 2014) the Council agreed to “take account of” the results of European elections by considering the candidacy of five individuals sponsored by parties in the EU Parliament One of these five, Jean-Claude Junker, was appointed president after his party became the largest in the Parliament

Undemocratic institutions The EU could be made more democratic by increasing the power of the Parliament—for example, enabling it to appoint rather than simply approve the Commission—and/or by strengthening the role of national parliaments But making the EU more democratically accountable would also make it more powerful, further challenging the sovereignty of national legislatures

Low political participation Political participation—as measured by voter turnout in European elections—is low and declining EU elections are ‘second order’, i.e. voters regard them as far less important than national elections The EU could address this issue through public information campaigns or by subjecting more policy initiatives to Europe-wide referenda. However, it is far from clear that national parliaments wish to encourage voters to focus more on European elections.

The ‘democratic deficit’ in the EU Some [have argued] that the Union is as democratic as it can our should be; given the nature of its functions, there is no reason to force further democratic mechanisms upon it; and when judged against the practices of existing nation states, there is little evidence that the EU suffers from a lack of democracy in its workings. D. Watts, British Government & Politics: A Comparative Guide (2006)

Plenary How democratic would you judge the European Union to be vs. national government in the UK?