The European Movement International believes that democracy is one of the key values on which the European Union is founded, and that a more direct link between the citizens and European political system is necessary to enhance the democratic character of the Union.

Key to the creation of such direct link is the role of political parties. As expressed in our Resolution on the transnationalisation of European democracy and the innovation of the European political system and in our Policy Position on ‘Citizens’ participation and transparency’, political parties on a European level are expected to contribute to forming European political awareness and to express the will of the citizens of the Union, as is laid out in the treaties.The formation of a European political awareness is essential to effectively counter the EU-skeptic discourse and reduce the democratic deficit of the Union.

To this end, the European Movement supports the proposal to use the UK’s 73 parliamentary seats to accommodate future enlargements and create a European joint constituency. Such a joint constituency could help strengthen public engagement in the European democratic process, countering the low turnout at European elections, and encourage the European political parties to engage the citizens of the Union on European as well as national issues.

The European Movement campaigns for reform of the European political system towards greater democratic participation in general. We hope that the current debate will inspire ideas and innovations that will strengthen our democracy and we stand ready to inform the big debates of our time, involve citizens and stakeholders in the decisions that affect them and influence the direction our Union takes.

To learn more about our project ‘ALL for Democracy’, which brings together employers, trade unions, local governments, universities and NGOs, please visit https://allfordemocracy.eu/.

For further details on the ‘48 Hours for Democracy‘ organised by the European Movement International, please see here.