Francis Cheneval firstly elaborates on the conceptual distinctions concerning purely representative and mixed voting systems as well as plebiscitary and direct democracy. After a critique of the arbitrary governmental practice of plebiscites in EU member states and on the basis of two scenarios for the future legitimacy of the EU, he then focuses on policy options: 1) a reformed European citizen initiative; 2) a facultative referendum on secondary EU law; 3) a mandatory referendum on primary EU law; 4) a veto right of a majority of member states’ parliaments on secondary EU law. He then singles out option 2, the citizen-induced referendum right with binding votes, as the most legitimacy-enhancing for the time being. This policy option is weighed against a veto right of a majority of national parliaments, which, for now, would be more in line with the traditions of pure representative democracy of some EU member states.
Chair:
Lorenzo Cicchi (EUI – European Governance and Politics Programme)
Speaker:
Francis Cheneval (University of Zurich)
Discussants:
Gaby Umbach (EUI – Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies)
Juri Viehoff (EUI – Department of Political and Social Sciences)
Please note: the Conversation will take place via ZOOM. Participation is only possible upon registration. The link to the meeting will be sent only to registered participants.
Conversations for the Future of Europe February – June 2020
Objective: To guide the steps of the European Union and to mobilise its citizens so as to make policy change possible, it is not sufficient to analyse the past and criticise the present. It is necessary to develop concrete proposals for a better future and to subject them to critical multidisciplinary discussion. The Conversations for the Future of Europe aim to contribute to such discussion. The focus of our Conversations will be to consider concrete and politically feasible projects which may guide the future development of the Union. A concern for political applicability, however, is compatible with creativity and boldness. Indeed, it may require it.
Format: Each Conversation will focus on one issue manifesting as a major challenge to the EU. The issue will be briefly introduced by one or two speakers, presenting a brief proposal for how to address this challenge. Presentations will be followed by comments from one or two discussants after which, there will be a general discussion.
Output: The aim of the Conversations is to facilitate debate and inspire far-sighted, creative ideas for how to address current policy problems.
Organisers:
Brigid Laffan (EUI – Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies)
Philippe van Parijs (Robert Schuman Fellow and Université Catholique de Louvain)
Andrea Sangiovanni (EUI – Department of Political and Social Sciences)
Juri Viehoff (EUI – Department of Political and Social Sciences)
Lorenzo Cicchi (EUI – European Governance and Politics Programme)
All events part of the Conversations on the Future of Europe series can be found here.