The democratic deficit in the European Union: some closely associated problems

Abstract

Focusing on the question of the so-called democratic deficit in the community political system, this article begins by reviewing the constitutional alterations that have been carried out within the framework of the European Union with the aim of reducing the said democratic deficit in its functioning. The text then goes on to deal with a number of problems associated with this question of deficient democracy. In particular, it reflects on the issue of the democratic legitimacy of the EU's political system, on the relationship established between the public opinion and the community government, and on the prevailing direction of the alterations made to the community's mechanisms of political representation.