Democracy

Initial plans for European integration, as outlined in the Schuman Declaration, did not envisage the creation of a representative parliamentary assembly. This was later included in the Treaty establishing the ECSC, because it was believed that without the democratic accountability of European Institutions, genuine European integration would not be achievable. The Common Assembly renamed itself the European Parliament in 1962 and has been directly elected by European citizens every five years since 1979.

Although democracy is one of the core values upheld by the EU, the debate on its “democratic deficit” has long accompanied the integration process. Its complex institutional framework set up by the founding Treaties lacked democratic legitimacy and transparency compared to the member states’ political systems, mainly because of the limited powers granted to the parliamentary assembly. Successive Treaty reforms expanded the Parliament’s rights and introduced several provisions to involve citizens in the EU’s political life, including the European citizens’ initiative. At the same time, questions about the status of democracy in the EU and its member countries still engage public discussion in the broader context of a debate on the role and future of democracy in the 21st century.

Jacopo Cellini