Anali Hrvatskog Politološkog Društva (Jan 2006)
The Crisis of Democracy in Europe: Between National State and European Governance
Abstract
In this article the symptoms of the crises of democracy are analyzed. The author concentrates on three sets of symptoms: fi rst, on the symptoms emerged in transition, post-communist countries that joined the EU within the Fifth enlargement. One of the main indicators of such crises is the low turnout in the European Parliament elections in 2004, only one month after their joining the EU. The reasons for such a bad turnout are the disappointment in democracy and in transition, as well as the formal fulfi llment of the Copenhagen criteria for accession. The second symptom of the crises is the negative result of the European Constitutional referenda in France and in the Netherlands, which triggered the chain reaction of rejection in other European countries and a stalemate in the ratifi cation process. The third element of the crises is the democratic defi cit in the EU and the diff erent views on how to overcome it, either by strengthening federalist elements or by the domination of intergovernmentalist procedures. In conclusion, the author agrees with Larry Siedentop that three appeals of democracy exist in today’s Europe: democracy simpliciter, democratic government appeal and the appeal of a democratic society. However, most European countries are still on the fi rst or second step, and therefore the crisis of democracy is still potentially dangerous for the future development of European societies. The victory over communism did not bring about the expected triumph of democracy, and today democracy is exposed to diff erent forms of political pathology that corroborate the delusions and failed expectations of democratization.
