Can the EU's constitutional framework accommodate democratic politics?

Abstract

The robustness of the EU's constitutional framework - and its ability to accommodate democratic politics - is challenged as never before. The growing disconnect between formally democratic procedures and substantive choice is well illustrated by the Greek crisis. Since its first bailout in May 2010, Greece has held four general elections and a referendum. Yet, the anti-austerity preferences of the Greek electorate have not been effectively translated into policy. This article uses the Greek crisis to analyse the EU's democratic deficit, and the related issue of the locus of legal and political sovereignty in the EU. It argues that the EU's constitutional framework is not sufficiently responsive to changing material conditions or to the changing preferences of Europeans. Thus, EU constitutionalism needs to be refashioned in order to strike a better balance between democratic and technocratic governance, as well as between the needs of individual citizens, national citizenries, and states.