The Democratic Deficit Is Dual In Nature — страница 3

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poll, people where asked how much they knew about the EU, and 13% admitted that they knew nothing at all and only 6% thought that they have a good knowledge about it. In this context, it is very difficult to develop a sense of belonging to the EU. And as long as they know so little, they will not make their views known. This will perpetuate the democratic deficit7. In this perspective, the democratic deficit and the knowledge deficit are tightly linked to each other. The democratic deficit can therefore be understood horizontally and vertically, at the European level as well as at the national level. That is why it is dual in nature. The debate about democracy leads immediately to the question of legitimacy. The EP enjoys direct elections but is the weakest institution of the EU.

It is obvious that the EU needs to find a solution and that is precisely why institutional changes are programmed in the coming year. For the time being, there is only an indirect form of legitimisation via the EP and the member states. If the integration is to be lead to further transfer of power, it requires more than a basic debate on the need for more transparency and openness. The Amsterdam Treaty is no doubt a big step forward to democratising the EU, however to date it simply remains a written document, whose content must be implemented in the future. Nevertheless, the democratic deficit will not be resolved simply by increasing the EP power or by introducing direct election for the Commission. Regardless of these problems, the European Union is a unique, sui generis

organisation and thus cannot be compared with existing features. It will demand lots of imaginations and creativity to ensure that this new regionalism will get the support of its citizens.