Reconstituting European Democracy

Europeanization and globalization are frequently held to undermine national democracy; hence raising the question of the prospects for democracy in the multilevel constellation that makes up the European Union. The article presents three new models for how democracy can be reconstituted: through combining representative national democracy and an EU functional regulatory regime based on audit democracy; through establishing the EU as a multi-national state based on a common identity(ies) and solidaristic allegiance strong enough to undertake collective action; or through the development of a Europe-regional democracy with an explicit cosmopolitan imprint. The models have been developed through applying the basic requirements of a democratic order to the complex, multilevel structure of European governance. We find that this is best accomplished through developing three original configurations. The ensuing three-model framework offers a conceptual-democratic map to help orient the debate and to clarify the stakes for democracy in Europe.