The European Citizens Initiative: Strengthening European Democracy?

Abstract

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is a new instrument of participatory democracy. It allows EU citizens to invite the Commission to submit a proposal for a European law. As the ECI resembles an instrument of direct democracy rather than of agenda-setting, we have to ask when and why specific initiatives are successful in influencing the agenda of the European Commission and can thus contribute to the creation of demoi, identity and publics in the European Union. At a first glance, the ECI is suitable for today’s citizens’ changing participatory demands: it is issue-oriented, embraces a limited time horizon, and offers to collect statements of support online. However, compared to other forms of citizens initiatives (e.g. in Switzerland) its addressee, the Commission, is not committed to act. Furthermore, the Commission has less control over the participants compared to other forms of participation at the EU-level. At least two scenarios are possible: (1) The ECI may be frustrating for organisers, which have successfully collected the signatures required, if no consequences stem from it. (2) The initiatives are able to get broad attention in the public and by the Commission and the Commission will feed interests of the citizen into the political process. The question remains, whether such a ‘weak’ instrument can strengthen European democracy. In our panel we would like to discuss methodological and theoretical challenges of this new instrument as a type of agenda initiative. Empirical findings about the first successful and failed ECIs could be discussed in the light of the main question: How far can the instrument of the ECI strengthen the democracy of the European Union by including different types of transnationally organized citizens which may create some sort of public sphere. Papers which compare the legitimacy and efficiency of different types of citizens’ initiatives are also welcome.

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