• Democratic Representation: Process by which people in a polity decide who will represent them

Why is the (E)P special?

• parliamentary involvement disincentivized → takes a lot of time, involves many actors, international politics might need fast answers (stylized arguments)
  • On the other hand: citizens can expect that decisions that are important to them are made with them involved → people they elect
• only 3 other international parliaments with similar election processes (universal suffrage → each citizen above certain age has right to vote)
• MEPs only have mandate in EP, in no other parliament
• Most treaties/contracts are incomplete → institutions have to find compromise of common interpretation
  • EP has used to push for its own place in institutional framework → argument of democratic legitimacy
• Commissions called by name of commission president
• Before commission is sworn into office, single candidates can be replaced, after sworn in only entire commission can be dismissed (scrutiny of the executive)
• replacing one candidate might lead to reshuffling of the candidate commission
• when call for replacement: allegation of misconduct → indications that person might be involved in criminal activity (e.g. corruption)
  • political affiliation not common reason → difficult to find a majority to support

EU parliamentarisation

• EP lacking fundamental powers: executive would have to emerge from legislative to be qualified as a parliamentary democracy
• Ratchet effect: once power is transferred to EP, it is not taken back → taking powers from democratically elected body is costly (sidenote: if people pay attention)

Parties & Political Groups

• party system of EU similar to national political systems → form along similar lines
  • umbrella organisations → national parties become member of europarty
• 7 political groups → needs at least 23 members + sth with member states
• Political groups have benefits, e.g. being represented in parliamentary committees