The European Union: How Democratic Is It?

Svein Andersen is a professor at the Norwegian School of Management and has held various academic positions over the last 25 years, including as a visiting professor at Berkeley and adjunct professor at the University of Oslo. He is also an adjunct professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. His teaching experience includes executive leadership and sports management. He holds two PhDs, one from the University of Oslo and one from Stanford University. Kjell A Eliassen is Professor and Director of European and Asian Studies (CEAS) at the Norwegian School of Management.CONTRIBUTORSEsther Barbe Universitat Autonoma BarcelonaYves Boyer CREST ParisMichael Clark King′s College University of LondonCatriona Gourlay Universite Libre BruxellesEsben Oust Heiberg Norwegian School of ManagementEric Remacle Universite Libre BruxellesMarit Sjovaag Norwegian School of ManagementReimund Seidelmann Universitat Giessen and Universite Libre BruxellesArnhild Spence NATO and EC BruxellesDavid Spence NATO and EC BruxellesG Pinar Tank Norwegian School of ManagementPierre de Vestel Universite Libre Bruxelles

`This collection of essays.... includes several useful chapters: Andersen and Burns′ thoughtful essay on `post-parliamentary governance′, Pedersen′s treatment of Euro-cooperation between parties, Wessel′s portrayal of the EU as `a new kind of polity′, and excellent analyses by Laursen and Hayes-Renshaw of the Commission and Council (respectively). Lane et al. offer a particularly interesting examination of the obsolescence of majority voting in a future, much-enlarged EU′ - Political Studies`This is a timely title. The well-worn clich[ac]e - a sort of twisted verison of a Groucho Marx witticism- has it that, were the EU to apply to join itself, it would not get in. The implicit assumption, one with which most Europeans would presumably agree, is that the EU should be democratic.... the book is a welcome and thought-provoking addition to a growing literature′ - Journal of Legislative Studies

• Introduction - Svein S Andersen and Kjell A EliassenDilemmas, Contradictions and the Future of European DemocracyPART ONE: NUMERICAL DEMOCRACY, CORPORATIVE PLURALISM AND LOBBYING IN EUROPEAN POLITICSEuro-Parties and European Parties - Mogens N PedersenNew Arenas, New Challenges and New StrategiesEU-Lobbying - Svein S Andersen and Kjell A EliassenBetween Representativity and EffectivenessThe Modern West European State and the European Union - Wolgang WesselsDemocratic Erosion or a New Kind of Polity?PART TWO: EU POLICY-MAKING AND NATIONAL INSTITUTIONSThe French EU Decision-Making - Christian LequesneBetween Destablization and AdaptationEuropean Policy-Making and National Institutions - The Case of Belgium - Cecilia AndersenItaly - Federiga Maria BindiIn Need of More EU DemocracyPART THREE: EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS: LEGITIMACY AND DEMOCRACYThe Role of the Commission - Finn LaursenThe Role of the Council - Fiona Hayes-RenshawVoting Power under the EU Constitution - Jan E Lane, Reinert Moeland and Sven BergThe European Parliament - Juliet LodgePART FOUR: THE FUTURE OF EU DEMOCRACYThe European Union - Rolf Gustavsson1996 and beyond a Personal View from the Side-LineThe European Union and the Erosion of Parliamentary Democracy - Svein S Andersen and Tom BurnsA Study of Post-Parliamentary GovernanceDemocracy - Svein S Andersen and Kjell A EliassenTraditional Concerns in New Institutional Settings