BUILDING THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE FOR DIRECT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN A
EUROPEAN FEDERATION
Abstract
The European Union suffers from a deficit in democracy. Policy-driven
treaties cause insufficient coordination, speed, and efficiency in their
response to internal and external challenges. In order to create a more
democratic, effective, and integrated policy in Europe, a Citizens’
Convention was held between October 2021 and April 2022. The objective
of this Convention was to create a European Constitution that might
serve as the basis of a European Federation. The Convention agreed on
three essential pillars to achieve a robust and stable democratic system
in Europe: (i) the transfer of common powers from the European States to
the Federation, (ii) a strict separation of the legislative, executive,
and legal powers, and (iii) direct citizens’ participation. Underpinned
by these principles, a number of structural and functional changes are
proposed to achieve strong democratic institutions, greater integration,
and effective cooperation between the European States.