The essay aims at analysing the new dimensions of European democracy. The question of the «democratic deficit» of the Union has been mainly addressed within the conceptual framework of «representative» democracy. Despite this, there has been another «filling-the-gap» strategy: it is what is called «participatory» democracy, that sums up all the ways through which European citizens or their associations may affect Union decision-making, «other than» the exercise of their right to vote. In this second «face» of the European democracy the main actor is «civil society» more than political parties. The Author moves from the definition of «European civil society» and analyses how it effectively affects European governance. The conclusion suggests that our insight of European constitutional democracy has to be changed, shifting from a «bi-dimensional plane» – based on the two «classical» judicial/political dimensions – to a «three-dimensional space», adding the third fundamental «societal» dimension and all the innovative questions this new dimension will trigger.

Beyond representative democracy: the challenge of participatory democracy and the boundless galaxy of civil society / Andrea Simoncini. - STAMPA. - (2013), pp. 45-73.

Beyond representative democracy: the challenge of participatory democracy and the boundless galaxy of civil society

SIMONCINI, ANDREA
2013

Abstract

The essay aims at analysing the new dimensions of European democracy. The question of the «democratic deficit» of the Union has been mainly addressed within the conceptual framework of «representative» democracy. Despite this, there has been another «filling-the-gap» strategy: it is what is called «participatory» democracy, that sums up all the ways through which European citizens or their associations may affect Union decision-making, «other than» the exercise of their right to vote. In this second «face» of the European democracy the main actor is «civil society» more than political parties. The Author moves from the definition of «European civil society» and analyses how it effectively affects European governance. The conclusion suggests that our insight of European constitutional democracy has to be changed, shifting from a «bi-dimensional plane» – based on the two «classical» judicial/political dimensions – to a «three-dimensional space», adding the third fundamental «societal» dimension and all the innovative questions this new dimension will trigger.
2013
9788815245168
Democracy and subsidiarity in the EU
45
73
Andrea Simoncini
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/816471
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