Democracy and the European Commission

The role of the Commission is not marginal to the democratic performance of the European Union. The very breadth of integration has inevitably demanded that the Commission be more than just a `problem-solver` on behalf of Member States and that it should operate as a self-consciously promotive institution charged with shaping European policy. Even so, the political role of the Commission is often a matter of considerable controversy with national governments. This controversy does not, ironically prevent the Commission from being regarded by many European electors as remote, bureaucratic and inefficient.

This brief note will suggest that in order to make the exercise of its existing competences more legitimate and democratically accountable, the Commission cannot rely exclusively on the policy results it can deliver to citizens. This note will also consider how a more political and politicized Commission, if not a sufficient condition to improve democratic accountability, might be a necessary one to breathe more democratic life into the EU.