IPSA International Conference

Luxembourg, 18-20 March 2010

CSPP

REPRESENTATION IN EU EXPLANATION WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION

PROFESSOR RICHARD ROSE

Director, Centre for the Study of Public Policy

Research supported by a 2.5 year British Economic & Social Research Council grant

A FEW DEFINITIONS

EUROPEAN UNION: Existing EU institutions and its 500 million citizens

GOVERNANCE: Relation of government institutions to citizens

DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATION: Representatives chosen by universal suffrage

and representing a cause which may or may not relate to natural persons

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MULTIPLE EXPLANATIONS AND JUSTIFICATIONS

HISTORY (H): Conjunctural agreements codified in institutions and laws result in path dependency. No choice but to accept the legacy of history.

FUNCTIONAL (F): How an institution operates and is effective.

JUSTIFICATIONS (J):

International treaty law

Democratic elections

Technocratic expertise.

Principles: Rule of law. Price stability, etc.

Criteria applicable to six major EU institutions

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MULTIPLE INSTITUTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION SYSTEM

Q 1. What or who do they represent?

Q 2. How do they relate to each other?

Q 3. What inputs do individuals have as national and EU citizens?

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EU INSTITUTIONS REPRESENT:

Principles: ECJ, ECB

Corporate interests: ECOSOC, Committee of the Regions

Technik: Supranational Commission staff

States that signed a Treaty: Council of Ministers/ European Council

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DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMATION THROUGH THE EP?

Critics of policymakers can ask: Who elected you?

European Parliament is elected BUT:

Degressive proportionality. Not one person one vote, one value

Federal representation for an upper chamber without a lower

Most party groups do not have members from all countries

Turnout low and stable --and so is Euro-gap

Multiple populist parties: protest, sincere or both?

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EU GOVERNANCE: AN ACCOUNTABLE STRATARCHY

Each EU institution part of a co-decision process

Accountable through checks and balances between EU institutions

Stratarchy: Policymaking within a single stratum; shallow vertical ties

None: European Commission. European Court. European Central Bank

Indirect : Council of Ministers. Consultative Committees

Electoral: European Parliament

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COLLECTIVE ACTION BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT

ISSUES AREAS:

Economy: Fiscal deficits. Growth. Employment. Trade.

Global warming.

National security.

Inter-continental immigration.

EFFECTIVENESS MORE DIFFICULT:

Diverse interests of 27 member states.

EU only one of multiple global actors for each issue.

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AN UNSTABLE LOW-LEVEL EQUILIBRIUM?

Within the present context:

Principled institutions, ECJ, ECB, have most scope for action BUT no electoral legitimacy

Enlargement + Lisbon equals more checks than balances?

Challenges to the stratarchy from below:

From Loser’s Consent to Loser’s Resentment?

National referendums: the ultimate deterrent to European integration?

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