Covid‐19: A different economic crisis but the same paradigm of democratic deficit in the EU

Abstract

Based on a normative orientation and an interdisciplinary perspective, this is a comparative study, using the process tracing methodology, between the EU responses to Eurozone and Covid‐19 crises to assess if, despite different outcomes, institutional decision‐making processes evidence a change. The study concluded that the EU democratic deficit remains, which assumes special features in economic crises, providing a political oversize power to the economically hegemonic states, thus constraining ideological debate and making national interest prevail over politicisation. This perpetuates the conver-sion of structural economic positions into political power at the expense of political representative power and democracy.