Making Democracy the Priority in EU Economic Governance: Four Theses on the Foundations of the T-Dem Project

Table of Contents: I. Introduction. – II. Democracy and economic reforms. – II.1. Democracy needs to take priority over effectiveness in Eurozone governance. –  II.2. Disentangle democratization of the Eurozone from any particular policy program. – III. What kind of parliamentarization? – III.1. The parliamentarization of Eurozone governance requires an integrated approach. – III.2. Empower and refocus existing parliamentary institutions instead of creating new ones.

Abstract: The T-Dem project of Hennette, Piketty, Sacriste and Vauchez puts the spotlight on, possibly, the main shortcoming of the flurry of recent Eurozone reforms: the lack of effective democratic controls. I offer a sympathetic comment on the initiative that goes to endorse and reinforce much of its intentions. However, I also raise two criticisms as I insist on the need to disentangle democratic reforms from any substantial policy proposals and advocate strengthening accountability relations between the present institutions rather than establishing a new Parliamentary Assembly for the Eurozone.

Keywords: democratic deficit – EU economic governance – European Parliament – Eurozone crisis – interparliamentary coordination – national Parliaments.

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European Papers, Vol. 3, 2018, No 1, pp. 59-65
ISSN 2499-8249 - doi: 10.15166/2499-8249/188

* Professor of Political Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, ben.crum@vu.nl.