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Double democratic legitimacy and accountability for the EU

Sir,

Regarding 'Survey: Parliament powerful, but what does it do?':

I wish to offer two clarifications on the creation and use of the term 'European Parliament' for a better understanding of the March 2008 Special Eurobarometer Report as well as the important hidden message that it signals for the future of European parliamentarianism. 

Namely, Jean Monnet's vision of the European Coal and Steel Community resulted in the establishment of the European Parliament's predecessor: the Common Assembly. Thus, the birthday of the first representative body of today's European Union is 18 April 1951. 

On 25 March 1957, two more communities were founded with their respective assemblies: the Assembly of the European Economic Community and the Assembly of the European Atomic Energy Community. The very same day saw the merger of the three assemblies into a single Assembly by way of a Convention. 

Since the inspiration for the Assembly was the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Assembly was also composed of national parliamentarians. The Assembly merely had advisory and supervisory powers as opposed to today's full co-legislative competence. 

At the very first session of the Assembly in 1958, it changed its name into 'European Parliamentary Assembly', whereas in 1962 it again changed its name to 'European Parliament'. However, this name was first acknowledged in a treaty by the Single European Act in 1986. 

Importantly, it was in 1976 that the Council decided to enact the direct universal suffrage for the European Parliament. After a three-year delay, the first direct elections to the European Parliament were held in 1979. This procedure has applied until the present day. Thus, it took 25 years to 'Europeanise' the European Parliament, but as the Eurobarometer indicates, the job does not seem to be finished therewith. 

The March 2008 Special Eurobarometer showed a reassuring result of 69% in favour of the 'democraticness' of the European Parliament but it also showed that it listens to only 42% of the interviewed European citizens. Moreover, on closer inspection, it is also evident that 52% of the interviewed European citizens rather have confidence in their national parliament. 

Finally, these remarks suggest that after a quarter of a century of a 'nationalised' European Parliament and for the present level of European integration, the two channels of democratic legitimacy and accountability for the EU – via both the European Parliament and the national parliaments - seem to be a desired, viable and above all legitimate way forward for the European Union.

Davor Jancic

Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance

University of Utrecht

The Netherlands

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