Nach dem permissiven konsens. Das demokratiedefizit der Europäischen Union

Abstract

[It is often noted that if the European Union itself were to apply for EU membership, it would not be allowed to enter since it does not meet the democratic standards mandatory for accession states. However, for many researchers it seems less clear whether the EU could be or even should be democratizised. We can identify four positions with respect to the probability and the desirability of EU democratization: Optimists, Pessimists, Apologists, and Fatalists. The first part of the paper attributes scholars to each of these four positions and explains their views on EU democracy in detail. The second part tests the plausibility of each position empirically. This exercise highlights the current dilemma of European integration. The EU can no longer proceed as an "elites only" project, but the EU also lacks the preconditions for full democratization.]