Representation and Democracy in the EU. Does one come at the expense of the other?

This book explores the various ways in which citizens are represented in EU policy-making. Most accounts naturally focus on the European Parliament as the prime source of democratic representation. This collection focuses instead on four other channels that are as and often more important: namely, representation via governments, national parliaments, civil society organisations and directly, via referenda.

Based on original research, the book combines democratic theory with detailed empirical analysis to provide an innovative, timely and up-to-date evaluation of the nature of representation in the EU.

Policy advisors, practitioners and those scholars interested in democracy and the European Union will find this volume to be a valuable resource.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of European Integration.

Table of Contents

1. Representation Deficits and Surpluses in EU Policy-making
2. ‘An Ever Closer Union Among the Peoples of Europe’: Republican Intergovernmentalism and Democratic Representation within the EU
3. The Pitfalls of Representation as Claims-Making in the European Union
4. Bicameral or Tricameral? National Parliaments and Representative Democracy in the European Union
5. A New Type of Representative Democracy? Reconsidering the Role of National Parliaments in the European Union
6. Representation in the European State of Emergency: Parliaments against Governments?
7. Creating a European Demos? The Representativeness of European Umbrella Organisations
8. Making the Environment Present: Political Representation, Democracy and Civil Society Organisations in EU Climate Change Politics
9. What Determines Demand for European Union Referendums?