The EP elections as an indicator of the crisis in the EU's democratic legitimacy focusing on the southern member states

Abstract

Many scholars argue that after more than fifty years of dynamic progress and deepened integration, the European project has come to a point when it needs to reinforce its democratic personality in order to develop further. This is necessary as the transfer of legislative powers from national parliaments to EU institutions has not been matched by an equivalent degree of democratic accountability and legislative input on the part of the EP, the only directly elected institution at EU level. When compared to national parliaments, the EP still lacks the legitimacy needed to be influential both internally and externally. Relevance has been its bane from its inception as for Jean Monnet it was something of an afterthought. For member states it is a misleading actor that challenges their decisions and for its citizens it is a puzzle characterised by a highly complex legislative process that is dominated by technical elites that limit their public awareness.