Democratic Deficit

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A Definition With Regard to the European Union

Democratic deficit is a phrase used to describe the lack of democracy, and the inaccessibility of European Union government organizations. It is particularly pertinent as it applies to the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. The ordinary citizen of the Union feels "left out" and without representation, and, further, thinks that there is little accountability of the European Union government bodies to the average citizen.

In most educated European minds, this is a structural problem with the Union government itself. This means that, without reframing the government institution itself, these problems will not go away. In other words, the European Union would have to be torn down and rebuilt.

In 2004, a new constitution promising to bring the EU closer to the people was signed by the European leaders, but rejected by Dutch and French voters in 2005. A new "treaty" to reform the EU government was put forth in 2007, ratified by most countries, but rejected by Ireland in 2008. Efforts continue.

Why Low Voter Turnout in European Parliamentary Elections?

The past two European Parliament elections, in 2004 and 2009, have produced increasingly lower voter turnouts -- 45.5% in 2004, and 43% in 2009 -- both record lows (Xuequan, 2009).

This occurs because most of the European voters are still "nationals" rather than "internationals." They are often unaware of policies and debates about issues that are occuring at the "European" level. Their own individual countries of residence and its issues are more important to them. Secondly, there is an enormously deep-seated feeling among most Europeans that their vote won't make a difference. They don't vote because they don't see direct results in regards to common citizen influence in the EU government institutions.

Reference List

Xuequan, M. (2009, June 6). Record low voter turnout in European Parliament elections. Retrieved September 3, 2009, from xinhuanet.com: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/08/content_11504890.htm