Bulletin n. 2/2007
October 2007
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Mårtensson Moa
    Mixed Representation and Legitimacy in the European Union
    in Journal of European Integration , Volume 29, Number 3 / July ,  2007 ,  285-302
    A central critique against the European Union's (EU's) system of representation is that it strikes an uneven balance between the three traditional channels of representation. Directly elected representatives are said to be uniquely powerless in relation to territorial representatives and representatives of organized interests. In the article, this argument is scrutinized within a comparative framework, using a selection of existing data on democratic systems from around the world. The study confirms that the EU's system of representation attributes great importance to territorial representation. However, the main finding is that it is not unique in this regard. Moreover, organized interests at the European level do not seem exceptionally powerful, in terms of their capacity to act collectively to influence policy. These findings are interpreted in the light of current research on the EU's legitimacy, resulting in two additional conclusions. While the EU's formal legitimacy would be enhanced by a push towards electoral politics at the European level, its social legitimacy hinges on a continued existence of territorial representation. Striking the proper balance between channels of representation at the European level stands out as a future challenge to researchers and political actors.
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