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Is The Eu Democratic?
24 Answers
I think not.
This my take on the issue: we joined a trading bloc originally; now we've ended up having delegating legislative and juridical authority to an EU whose policies are set by an oligarchy.
Please argue for and against.
This my take on the issue: we joined a trading bloc originally; now we've ended up having delegating legislative and juridical authority to an EU whose policies are set by an oligarchy.
Please argue for and against.
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But anyway. I'll probably do both anyway, because, of course, it is not yet perfectly democratic, and anyone arguing that it *is* democratic must concede that point.
The EU is a democracy in the following ways: it has a directly elected Parliament, whose approval is necessary for any legislation to pass. It has two separate bodies, the EU Council and Council of the EU, composed of elected representatives of the member states; the EU Council's approval is also needed for legislation to pass, and indeed currently most decisions require a supermajority (55% of states, representing 65% of the EU population) to be approved.
All of these give direct or indirect links to the democratic will of its constituent states and to its people.
The stumbling block is, as someone either soon will or already has pointed out while I'm typing this, the EU Commission, which is not elected, but is at least supervised by the Parliament, and whose members are selected by the governments of each member state. Still, that has powers that go beyond what a perfect democracy would allow. I believe the purpose is to ensure that legislation is proposed by disinterested officials, but ultimately still approved only by democratic bodies.
So, my answer is -- and has always been -- "yes, mostly". Like all democracies it has its flaws, but as long as the EU Parliament exists, and its role in particular has grown over time, then there is a clear democratic link.
The EU is a democracy in the following ways: it has a directly elected Parliament, whose approval is necessary for any legislation to pass. It has two separate bodies, the EU Council and Council of the EU, composed of elected representatives of the member states; the EU Council's approval is also needed for legislation to pass, and indeed currently most decisions require a supermajority (55% of states, representing 65% of the EU population) to be approved.
All of these give direct or indirect links to the democratic will of its constituent states and to its people.
The stumbling block is, as someone either soon will or already has pointed out while I'm typing this, the EU Commission, which is not elected, but is at least supervised by the Parliament, and whose members are selected by the governments of each member state. Still, that has powers that go beyond what a perfect democracy would allow. I believe the purpose is to ensure that legislation is proposed by disinterested officials, but ultimately still approved only by democratic bodies.
So, my answer is -- and has always been -- "yes, mostly". Like all democracies it has its flaws, but as long as the EU Parliament exists, and its role in particular has grown over time, then there is a clear democratic link.
The question is oversimplified and demonstrates a lack of understanding as to how the EU is made up.
1. The European Parliament is directly elected by the citizens of the EU member countries. It is currently made up of 751 Members, who are voted in across the EU every five years under a system of proportional representation. 73 of them are from the UK. This would seem to be democratic to me.
2. Council of the European Union is Made up of the Heads of State or Government and the President of the European Commission. It sets the overall agenda for EU policies and is responsible for revising and creating the Treaties on which the whole of the EU's body politic is based. It meets in Brussels four times a year. Possibly not so democratic.
3. The European Commission isis responsible for proposing legislation, spending the lion's share of the budget and overseeing approved legislation, programmes and expenditure.
The 28 Commissioners (one from each country) are appointed for a five-year term. The UK's Commissioner is Julian King. Commissioners are duty-bound to act on behalf of the whole EU and not for any national government or interest group. Its activities are closely monitored by Parliament. It is based in Brussels. Again, possibly not so democratic.
I'm not sure how the latter two could be made more democratic without resorting to the public deciding on everything they deal with.......and we all know how that turns out, don't we boys and girls (or however you self identify).
1. The European Parliament is directly elected by the citizens of the EU member countries. It is currently made up of 751 Members, who are voted in across the EU every five years under a system of proportional representation. 73 of them are from the UK. This would seem to be democratic to me.
2. Council of the European Union is Made up of the Heads of State or Government and the President of the European Commission. It sets the overall agenda for EU policies and is responsible for revising and creating the Treaties on which the whole of the EU's body politic is based. It meets in Brussels four times a year. Possibly not so democratic.
3. The European Commission isis responsible for proposing legislation, spending the lion's share of the budget and overseeing approved legislation, programmes and expenditure.
The 28 Commissioners (one from each country) are appointed for a five-year term. The UK's Commissioner is Julian King. Commissioners are duty-bound to act on behalf of the whole EU and not for any national government or interest group. Its activities are closely monitored by Parliament. It is based in Brussels. Again, possibly not so democratic.
I'm not sure how the latter two could be made more democratic without resorting to the public deciding on everything they deal with.......and we all know how that turns out, don't we boys and girls (or however you self identify).
The Parliament is nothing more than a talking shop, filled with overpaid layabouts, supported by a thousands equally overpaid staff, who may work hard, but at useless jobs.
All the power rests in reality with the Commission, and within the Commission with the Head who does little (apart from getting drunk) without consulting the paymaster; Angela Merkel.
All the power rests in reality with the Commission, and within the Commission with the Head who does little (apart from getting drunk) without consulting the paymaster; Angela Merkel.
We have a head of state who’s not elected.
Which does not make the country undemocratic necessarily.
Also an unelected higher chamber.
On the other hand every country in the EU has a veto on us extending Article 50.
I can’t really see that the EU parliament is any less democratic than our own.
Then there’s the question often asked: name a single law that the Brutish government have wanted to oppose but the EU has overruled them. Erm ...
On the EU no longer being a trading bloc alone, well it was always the intention to pursue closer political union.
Which does not make the country undemocratic necessarily.
Also an unelected higher chamber.
On the other hand every country in the EU has a veto on us extending Article 50.
I can’t really see that the EU parliament is any less democratic than our own.
Then there’s the question often asked: name a single law that the Brutish government have wanted to oppose but the EU has overruled them. Erm ...
On the EU no longer being a trading bloc alone, well it was always the intention to pursue closer political union.
