Induces the European Citizens’ Initiative more Democratic Participation?
Julian Plottka, Research Associate at the Institut für Europäische Politik, discusses the most common hypotheses on the ECI’s potential to strengthen EU democracy in an article for an online dossier on democracy in the European Union of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. He does not expect the ECI to become a third new pillar of the EU’s legitimacy, but he shows that the ECI has the potential to strengthen EU civil society, EU publics and the EU citizens’ link to EU politics. Finally, he reviews some of the first ECIs and discusses whether the ECI is another stepping stone towards politicizing EU decision-making.
The article “EU: Mehr demokratische Beteiligung durch die Europäische Bürgerinitiative?” is available on the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung’s website.