The Eu and Its Democratic Deficit: Problems and (Possible) Solutions

Abstract

Despite the different approaches to the term ‘democratic deficit’, the majority of scholars today focus on political legitimacy and accountability. In this paper we assess the democratic deficit of EU institutions, more precisely the European Commission and the European Parliament. We suggest how this deficit could be overcome through the EU treaty changes, which would create more balanced powers in the EU. We evaluate briefly the attempt of European institutions to increase political participation among EU citizens, where the Internet is found to be a very helpful tool.