Representation in the European Union under Pressure: Elites, Citizens, and the Democratic Disconnect

Abstract

Across Europe, political representation is undergoing significant stress. Declining trust in institutions, rising abstention, and growing dissatisfaction with political elites point to an increasingly fragile representative link between citizens and decision-makers. These dynamics are particularly visible in the European Union, where recurrent crises have reshaped both the practice and the perception of representation. This panel brings together contributions that analyse the relationship between citizens, political elites, and representative institutions in the EU and its member states. Building on insights developed within the REDIRECT project (The Representative Disconnect: Diagnosis and Strategies for Rectification), the panel adopts a comparative and multi-level perspective to explore how representation is reconfigured in times of political, economic, social, and institutional flux. We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions addressing representation at the EU, national, and subnational levels. While comparative analyses are particularly encouraged, well-grounded single-case studies are also suitable, especially when they speak to European dynamics. Methodological pluralism is welcome, including survey research, elite studies, experiments, mixed-methods designs, and qualitative approaches. Indicative topics include (but are not limited to): citizens’ expectations and understandings of representation in the EU; elite perceptions of public preferences and responsiveness; emotional and symbolic dimensions of EU politics; mismatches between citizen preferences and policy outputs; and representation in contexts of crisis, polarization, and democratic backsliding.

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