Auditing Democracy in the European Union

Abstract

This chapter discusses how far Democratic Auditing needs to be re-invented at the same time as it is transposed to the EU. The main issues are what criteria should be used to test the democratic qualities or deficiencies of the EU? What should be covered by any democratic audit of the Union? And what in the EU’s case should count as evidence of different levels of democratic performance? It follows from what was said in the last chapter that answers to these questions depend on what reasons are given for believing that the EU ought to be democratic and on the feasibility of achieving that outcome. This chapter will thus begin by reviewing justifications for a democratic EU and possible difficulties of achieving it.