Zusammenfassung
Aus dem Scheitem des EU-Verfassungsvertrages abzuleiten, dass jegliche Reform, die auf steigende Bürgerbeteiligung zielt, in der Europäischen Union zum Scheitern verurteilt sei, wäre verfrüht. Mit seiner stringenten Zurückweisung des Verfassungsprojekts begeht Andrew Moravcsik diesen Fehler. Seine Behauptungen, gestützt auf das, was er empirische Sozialwissenschaft nennt, gehen weit über die Erkenntnisse hinaus, die über demokratische institutionelle Innovationen vorliegen. Partizipative Methoden wie z. B. konsultative Bürgerversammlungen können die Ansichten der Bürger durchaus artikulieren und dazu beitragen, die demokratische Legitimität der EU zu verankern. Wir wissen nicht, ob solche Methoden in der Lage sind, das Demokratiedefizit der EU zu beheben, aber wir wissen sehr wohl, dass die empirische Sozialwissenschaft sich noch nicht abschließend zu dieser Angelegenheit geäußert hat. Es ist daher besser, das demokratische Potenzial solcher Methoden zu untersuchen, als solche Versuche von vornherein zurückzuweisen.
Abstract
It is tempting, but wrong, to infer from the failures of the EU draft constitution that all reforms based on increasing citizen participation in the European Union are doomed to fail. Andrew Moravcsik’s trenchant dismissal of the constitutional project commits this error. Moravcsik’s sweeping claims, based on what he calls empirical social science, speak well beyond the evidence on democratic institutional innovations. Participatory measures such as consultative Citizens’ Assemblies may articulate a citizens’ perspective that can help to anchor the democratic legitimacy of the EU. We do not know if such innovations can resolve the problems of the democratic deficit, but we do know that empirical social science has not spoken decisively on the issue. It is worth examining their democratic potential rather than dismissing them outright.
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This article develops and draws on ideas we first expressed in an online symposium with Andrew Moravcsik and others, hosted by Notre Europe (Culpepper/Fung 2006b).
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Culpepper, P.D., Fung, A. Do all bridges collapse? Possibilities for democracy in the European Union. PVS 48, 730–739 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11615-007-0129-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11615-007-0129-2