Democratic developments in the European Union

The European Union (EU) struggles with its democratic identity. European citizens are more and more critical about the actions of the EU and the distance between citizens and the EU seems to widen. Euro skeptical parties have a considerable part of the electorate behind them throughout Europe. In academic literature, the ‘democratic deficit’ is a hot topic that leads to a vivid discussion. Academics are not unitary and there are arguments to be found in favor and against the existence of the democratic deficit in the EU. However, these arguments often depart from assumptions about democracy that are based on democracy in states. The EU is not a state, and this leads to friction between the theory, the arguments and the everyday reality of the EU. Through a reconstruction of the development of the EU, it becomes clear that the EU was not a democratic organization in its foundation. The need for democratic legitimacy grew over time. The development of democratic tools always seems to be lagging behind the integration process and the expansion of powers. A new theory on democracy, which is not based on the idea of a state, seems to be necessary to explain the current situation of the EU. The conclusion leads to two possible paths for the future democratic system of the EU. Either the EU will drift in the direction of a federal state, with the democratic institutions that belong to a state. Or the EU will develop into an international organization with a considerable impact on its member states, but without having a democratic system of a state. It is important to be aware of these two directions when making decisions, because a change to the democratic system can steer the EU into one direction or the other.