Is the European Union inherently undemocratic?
Opinion by Lukas Klausner. While criticism of the European Union seems to have increased generally over the last decade (especially from populist and euronationalist parties), it appears that one claim is prevalent among the various different voices: the claim that the Union is inherently undemocratic and that through its mere existence, the Union deprives the citizens of the European Union of some of their rights. They couldn't be more right and more wrong at the same time.Yes, certainly the current structure of the European Union is not a shining example of pure and unblemished democracy? We need to keep in mind that the Union's current institutions evolved over a period of almost fifty years which were regularily marked by difficult negotiations necessary to balance out differing interpretations of what the Union should look like and how things should be run, not to forget that there's almost no European head of government who couldn't be accused of putting national interests over common European ones at least a few times if not even regularily.
But you also have to keep in mind that the Union is certainly far more democratic today than it was fifteen years ago, and even more so if you compare the current situation with the humble beginnings of the European Coal and Steel Community in the late fifties. More democracy is on its way, and if we can help it, even sooner.
Eurofederalists wouldn't even think of a single European state which is not fully democratic and listens to both its constituent states as well as its citizens.
On the other hand, through its mere existence the European Union gives the European citizens the possibility to bring democratic government closer to them than ever before. Within the Union, it would be possible for regions of today's member states to decide when and whether they want to be represented in the Union on their own terms, which would have been impossible in the days before the Union due to the various problems and challenges a small, independent state would have faced. It seems clear that smaller regions or states mean a more direct democracy, and that is possible within the framework of a common European state.
4 Comments:
Is the European Union inherently undemocratic?
Yes because not only the EU are undemocratic but also his members-states. In Europe was and are practice a form of democracy where the citizen, the Sovereign, voting are robed by political parties. After the vote the citizen has no more right to to pratice his Sovereignity.
Only if the citizen has possibility to participat to government in the local, regional, national and then also European level we can speak that Europe are realy democratic. All the other declarations of "democraticly countries" are a deception for the citizens - prononced by this minority which are governing about the majority of voteles citizens.
We have the hope that the European Constitution with the articel I-47
"Principe of participatory democracy" will soon be the point of start in a really democracy in European Union. That means in all the parts constituent this Union: towns, regions, nations and Union.
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Do not confuse democracy with ethnic nationalism.
Dividing up Europe in ethnical defined territories are not what Europe United and European Union stand for.
I can understand some people's fear of being contaminated with alien qualities from another "culture", but this is the way progress works.
There are only people with different perspectives on life. Europe United and the European Union have as their mission to let these people associate on the European and global arenas, with disregard to background.
This will not be achieved by distancing groups of people from other groups of people.
Most historical progressions are made when greater and greater areas share the same rules, regulations, definitions and views.
There will always be different ways to particpate in and to enforce the ruling of the European Union. Pragmatic solutions are required. In the extreme case there will only be the union and its citizens, where the people on all occasions have direct voting access on all subjects and matters. In a more pragmatical uniona there will the the union, regions, sub-regions, communities and citizens. How the regions, sub-regions, communities are formed will be the responsibilies of the citizens of the union. The bounderies for each level may not be based on ethnic (Whatever that is, as the namnes of the different present members states and regions of Europe are just historical denotations. You cold equally call Spain Austria as you could call England Saxonia. The names are just arbitrary.) grounds, nor on present territorial grounds. Remember that a territory is just an administrative unit accepted by other administrative units, where the administrative power should enforce the rules, regulations and definitions (international, regional and national) an ALL persons residing in the administrative unit, regardless of nationality.
Forget the distinctions about "Folk", "Volk" and such concepts. They have no place in politics.
To communicate some sober perspectives: look at history and see how many cultures, states, nations and so on that has existed in our historical time and that has been assimilated, joined, conquered and united with other cultures, states, nations and so on to understand that you can not halt progress, good or bad.
Don't confuse ethnic nationalism with ethnic self determination.
If the European Union's goal is to foribly mix different groups peoples and groups together without the consent of these groups, I would certainly say that the EU is not only practising an undemocratic and oppressive brand of government, but is in clear violation of Article 1, Part 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Resolution 2200 A) signed, ratified, and adopted but the UN General Assembly.
People have the right to chose their future through the democratic process.
Forgive for saying so, but I would also say you yourself have totalitarian tendencies judging your intolerant comments regarding other views.
"Forget the distinctions about "Folk", "Volk" and such concepts. They have no place in politics"
or
"To communicate some sober perspectives....."
To be taken seriously in political discussions, one must be fair and objective, and I think such comments constitute a step over the line, if not a triple jump over it.
Who are you to claim what is progress and what is not? You have to live with what the people want for themselves.
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