What is at stake in Europe
#95
“This election is about democracy.”
– Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission President, last week, at the first debate of the EU election campaign at the University of Maastricht (watch the debate here)
Dear Friends of Democracy,
What is at stake in the upcoming European election? Some say it's democracy itself.
Spies, agents of influence, and disinformation are threatening not only the European Parliament (check Maria R. Sahuquillo's worth reading summary on ElPais). So yes, democracy is threatened.
But there is a but.
The current debate about the enemies of democracy conceals another democracy problem: the lack of political issues and discussion in public.
Not for the first time, in the run-up to European elections, there is almost no broad discussion in the member states about issues negotiated and decided at the European level.
What there is no shortage, however, is calls to vote. Voting is a civic duty, it says. #Useyourvote, many post on Social Media. But for what? Voting is not an end in itself. By voting, citizens express their preferences. However, if the electorate lacks preferences, people's will is not represented in parliament. Then democracy doesn't work.
There are topics, though.
Is the European Green Deal a zero-sum game, even worse, taking jobs away from Europe, as the far-right and parts of the centre-right claim, or is it the most valuable project of the EU? Are the farmers right with their sometimes extreme protests and need more support, or is agriculture too heavily subsidized? Who should I vote for if I want the EU to support more Ukraine, who if less (check the Ukraine Support Tracker from the IfW Kiel Institute for the World Economy)? Who stands for a more migration-friendly policy, and who is for an anti-migration policy? Which party stands for faster and better European rail transport, and which party prefers more road transport? Should Europe try harder to stop the war in Gaza?
There isn't a lack of topics, is there?
And, yes, these topics are discussed in public, but most of the time, these discussions have no connection with the European elections; instead, people address their claims to their national parliaments.
In this sense, democracy at the European level is still dysfunctional.
✊ What isn't yet can still come. One thing may follow the other. The desire to advocate for democracy at the European level can be followed by delving into more specific topics. It wouldn't be the first time a generation became enthusiastic about politics by initially being passionate about an overarching single issue.
See you in Europe,
Johannes
This is an excellent observation!
Yet this should not surprise us. And the reason is obvious: There is no European Campaign.
The groups in the European Parliament are not allowed to campaign and the European Political Parties can not agree on joint, campaignable platforms. The member parties each want to run their own national campaigns.
This does not come as a surprise if you look at the sometimes very diverse political agendas of member parties of a European Political Party.
This will only change if a condition is introduced for building a Political Group in European Parliament: Members must have campaigned on a joint political platform.