The EU on our behalf : how to reinforce EU democracy

Version anglaise des propositions d’Yves Bertoncini du rapport « L’Europe en notre nom : renforcer la démocratie européenne » (mai 2019) / An English summary of Yves Bertoncini’s « L’Europe en notre nom : renforcer la démocratie européenne » (originally published in French in May 2019) 

Our European representatives have significant powers (heads of state, ministers, MEPs, etc.) and their lack of democratic anchorage is being tested, in the wake of a growing mistrust of any form of representative democracy. It is all the more necessary to reduce this lack of representation as the EU faces multiple challenges, both internal and external. Thus, European citizens will have the possibility to « take back control » of its initiatives and decisions and will feel more involved and more supportive.

Originally inspired by « enlightened despotism », the European construction has since then been the subject of a broad democratisation movement, especially after the direct election of European parliamentarians from 1979 onwards and the continuous reinforcement of their prerogatives. Our proposals are aligned with this democratisation movement, though aware that the EU operating rules will never be as simple and readable as French democracy. Our French system consists in assigning the essential powers to a President directly elected after a binary vote. It is also based on a mechanically acquired majority… But these structural boundaries must encourage us to be even more bold in order to foster democratisation at a European level and bolster the feeling that those who decide on our behalf are fully legitimate.