Problemas de legitimidad democrática, representación y rendimiento de cuentas en el proceso político de la Unión Europea

Arregui, Javier

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.18543/ced-46-2012pp85-112

Problemas de legitimidad democrática, representación y rendimiento de cuentas en el proceso político de la Unión Europea

Citation

Arregui J. Problemas de legitimidad democrática, representación y rendimiento de cuentas en el proceso político de la Unión Europea. Cuadernos europeos De Deusto. 2012;46:85-112. DOI: 10.18543/ced-46-2012pp85-112

Abstract

This paper examines the governance practices of the European Union (EU) and its relationship with the institutional design, which ultimately, is what determines the model of the democratic functioning of the EU. In order to do this, I will take as a reference point and analysis, the main actors and institutions that drive the EU political process and the outputs they produce. The paper shows that the checks and balances of power in the EU allow adopting moderate and centrist policies which are close to the median preferences of European citizens. However, the EU also has serious shortcomings in its design and institutional performance, such as the virtual absence of processes of political competition, the absence of processes of vertical accountability and excessive processes of political delegation. All these factors limit the EU’s democratic legitimacy.