Why Democracy International?

The challenge of European integration

Democracy is the basic condition for and the key to an open and peaceful society of free human beings.

In an increasingly globalized world, policy and decision-making become more and more distant from the citizens. The processes of European integration and globalization lead to an ever expanding centralisation of power in the hands of governments and non-elected bureaucrats. The power of citizens and parliaments is constantly weakened because of the ever greater role of international organizations like the WTO, the IMF, NATO and the European Union. The autonomy and independence of states is significantly reduced, national policy becomes more and more limited. The power of lobbyists and corporations increases.

Currently the EU decides more than 60% of all new legislation that is applied in the member states. It already has law-making power over almost every area of policy including the most important ones like foreign, defence, economic, monetary and social policy, justice and home affairs. The new draft constitution gives even more powers to the EU-Level.

The lack of parliamentary and public control of the law-making process makes the European Commission dependent upon national governments, corporate lobbyists and civil servants.

For all the foregoing reasons the fight for a better democracy can no longer be limited to our communities, regions and states. If we are really concerned with democracy, we need to develop international answers to the ongoing capitulation of policy and the substantial loss of democracy.

We should begin with the European Union. It is the largest and most integrated supranational state-like entity in the world and is increasingly becoming a model for other regions in the world.

In addition, the EU is in the process of giving itself a constitution. It's up to us to ask the right questions and to develop the right answers. The very minimum would be referenda on the draft constitution in all member states.

The case for direct democracy in the EU

In the long run it is much more important to establish binding instruments of direct democracy in the European Union (initiative and referenda) than merely

to have one-off referenda on the constitution.

Direct democracy on an EU level could

- enable citizens to actively participate in European politics

- really implement Art. I-1 of the draft European constitution (“Reflecting the will of the citizens…

to build a common future”) and put European citizens in a sovereign position

- actively promote a real European citizenship and European identity

- lead to more informed and engaged citizenship resulting in a better democratic culture

Power relations can be questioned by direct democracy.

The institutional design of the EU could be changed (e.g. by strengthening the European Parliament and democratising the European Commission).

The division of competences could be redesigned (powers could be transferred back to the member states and regions while the Union could

be given stronger instruments to solve problems with a real transnational, European dimension) and the content of the Union's policy be altered.

The struggle for a more just and more democratic world and Europe does not mean that it is no longer or less important to democratise our nation

states. The latter is at least equally important and this will help us to transform international organizations and the European Union. On the other hand, a more democratic Europe can foster democratic reforms in our countries. National and international democratisation could and must go hand

in hand.