The European Union as a hyper-complex system. Tackling expertise and legitimacy: toward a competent democracy

Falletti, Vincenza

The European Union as a hyper-complex system. Tackling expertise and legitimacy: toward a competent democracy

Document Type

Doctoral thesis
Published Version

Author

Falletti, Vincenza

Director

Moreso, Josep Joan
Martí, José Luis

Publication Date

2025-02-17

Pages

292 p.

Embargo date

2027-02-17T01:00:00Z

Citation

Falletti, V. The European Union as a hyper-complex system. Tackling expertise and legitimacy: toward a competent democracy. Universitat Pompeu Fabra; 2025. handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/694608

This citation was generated automatically.

Doctoral program

Programa de Doctorat en Dret

Abstract

This thesis explores the democratic legitimacy of the European Union, focusing on how it can be reformed to address the challenges posed by its hyper-complex structure. The work examines the tension between the growing reliance on expert knowledge in EU governance and the need to maintain democratic principles. By analysing the concepts of political legitimacy, the democratic deficit, and the role of expertise, the thesis investigates whether a model of "competent democracy" can reconcile these conflicting demands. The study suggests that a balance between technical competence and democratic representation is essential for the EU’ s legitimacy. A theoretical model is proposed, advocating for professionalised politics, where elected representatives are sufficiently trained to navigate complex governance issues while avoiding the pitfalls of technocracy.
Esta tesis explora la legitimidad democrática de la Unión Europea, centrándose en cómo puede reformarse para enfrentar los desafíos que plantea su estructura hipercompleja. El trabajo examina la tensión entre la creciente dependencia del conocimiento experto en la gobernanza de la UE y la necesidad de mantener los principios democráticos. A través del análisis de los conceptos de legitimidad política, déficit democrático y el papel de los expertos, la tesis investiga si un modelo de "democracia competente" puede reconciliar estas demandas conflictivas. El estudio sugiere que un equilibrio entre la competencia técnica y la representación democrática es esencial para la legitimidad de la UE. Se propone un modelo teórico que aboga por una profesionalización de la política, donde los representantes elegidos estén suficientemente capacitados para manejar problemas complejos sin caer en la tecnocracia.