On-line journal no. 4 – July 2012 - Modelling the New Europe

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On-line Journal Modelling the New Europe Issue no. 4/2012 mismatch between, on the one hand, the concrete achievements of European integration and on the other hand, the disappointment and alienation of Europeans is identified. The accomplishments of the European integration have predominantly been the product of the political and technocratic elite that does not have much connection with the population, and act without feeling the issues raised by lack of democracy and legitimacy. Even though the EU has proved to be able to deliver stability, peace, and economic wealth, the people that are governed do not feel connected to and do not have influence upon the system by which they are governed. The challenge for European governance is how to close this normative gap. Democracy has become an issue in the current debates on the European Union. There are different views on the state of democracy in the EU and about the presence of a so-called democratic deficit, and whether something needs to be done to improve democracy in the EU. There is also tension in the confrontation of participation and representation in the EU. Some people claim that the participation of lobby groups in the policy process is harmful to the system of representation, while others say that participation is an important addition to representation and helps with the inclusion of more interests and the public awareness of the works of the EU. There are plenty of possibilities to actively engage citizens in the debate on European matters that remain unexplored. European leaders must use this “period of reflection” to convincingly demonstrate that they take seriously the message from the two negative referenda. Instead of “selling” the Constitution, this present period of reflection must directly address the larger dissatisfaction that characterizes the attitude of a growing part of the population towards the EU. Public debates on European issues should be organized with the participation of politicians and civil society. These debates could follow the model of Ireland’s National Forum on Europe. Such fora should not promote a particular point of view, but should function as a 79
On-line Journal Modelling the New Europe Issue no. 4/2012 neutral venue for open and uncensored debate. In addition, particular efforts should be made to enlist the participation of citizens from other member states to strengthen the European dimension in these debates. New methods of participatory democracy – such as consensus conferences, deliberative polls or the formation of cross-border networks between citizens – should be considered at the national but also at the European level in order to maximize citizens’ involvement in shaping policy. As a clear signal of their determination to reach out to the citizens, European politicians need to subscribe to a hard compact that addresses the democratic and communicative deficits of the EU with concrete measures. The main aim of such a compact for citizens would be to establish an effective “European Democratic and Civic Space” (Kurpas et al. 2005). The Citizens Compact would aim to establish better conditions for debate on the future direction of the EU. It would foster a European dimension in the public debate by improving the “vertical” links between the national (regional, local) level and the European level as well as the “horizontal” links among the different national forums. This would help to counter the “nationalization” of the EU debate, as occurred in France and in the Netherlands. In those referenda campaigns, it proved impossible to communicate the Constitution as a compromise that has to accommodate many national preferences. Instead, the text was measured against a highly specific set of demands from a national perspective that it could not begin to satisfy any. Since change to a European treaty must be acceptable in every member state, it is crucial to prepare the ground for a debate that is adapted to this challenge. The initiative for the Compact must represent a concerted effort on the part of all European institutions and should go beyond a mere declaratory text. Through the adoption of the Compact, binding commitments on its basic content must be obtained from all political actors involved. To assure that all stakeholders have a sense of ownership, it is important that they are equal partners in the process of shaping the agreement. Hence, it should take the legal form of an inter-institutional agreement where the EU institutions themselves are concerned. It would be appropriate for the initiative to be launched by the European 80
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Bibliographie On-line Journal Model
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Introduction On-line Journal Modell
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Table no. 1- Proposed indicators 1
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On-line journal no. 4 – July 2012 - Modelling the New Europe

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