Abstract
This article addresses and observes the crisis of Western democracy through the lens of the weakness of parties and party government, especially at the European Union (EU) level. Social stratification changes, global trends and ultimately the sustained economic crisis have placed political parties at the national and the EU level under enormous strain. Moreover, demands posed by the crisis on national governments by the EU have generated conflicting interests of different member states. The resulting development of Horizontal Euroscepticism has made intergovernmental decision making, which has represented the backbone of the EU legitimacy up to now, extremely problematic and has posed the need for rethinking democracy in multi-level Europe, ultimately by strengthening supranational democracy through the creation of a form of party government at the EU level as well.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
-
The development of a veritable cleavage shift was described as being responsible for the emergence and challenge of populist parties in the last two decades (Krouwel, 2012).
-
The poster was banned in the city of Abano Terme, a well-known resort in the Veneto region frequented by German tourists. Marco Belardi, Idv candidate in the North-East constituency, which includes Veneto, in an interview that he gave while sporting a T-shirt that reproduced the slogan, declared that it did not express opposition to the German people but only to a German-centred Europe. To the extent, however, that the EU is indeed perceived by Idv electors as being German-centred, the potentially Eurosceptic implications of this position are clear.
-
This allegation was never officially confirmed, nor was it denied by the Finnish government.
-
It is too soon to determine whether Horizontal Euroscepticism is going to be a lasting phenomenon with its distinct characteristics or fade, or even become confused with more traditional xenophobic attitudes. This question itself, however, indicates the need for more research on this topic. Issues that would have to be addressed include its origin, its extent and how to measure it, its relation with migration, and its impact on the European demos.
-
In fact, this could be less of a problem if the four core parties (EPP, Socialists, Greens, and Liberals) should decide to act as a majority coalition opposed by the Left and by the populist-Eurosceptic Right.
References
Andeweg, R.B. (2000) ‘Political Recruitment and Party Government’, in J. Blondel and M. Cotta (eds.) The Nature of Party Government: A Comparative European Perspective, New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Bardi, L. (1989) Il parlamento della Comunità Europea. Legittimità e riforma, Bologna: Il Mulino.
Bardi, L. (2013) ‘Parties, Party System and Party Government in the European Union’, ìn Democratic Legitimacy and Political Leadership in the European Union. Towards the 2014 European Elections, Rome: Italianieuropei/Solaris, pp. 28–44.
Bardi, L., Bartolini, S. and Trechsel, A. (eds.) (2014) ‘Special issue “responsive and responsible? The role of parties in twenty-first century politics”’, West European Politics 37 (2): 235–252.
Bardi, L., Katz, R. and Mair, P. (2011) ‘Verso una politica europea’, in Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica 41 (3): 347–336.
Easton, D. (1965) A Framework for Political Analysis, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Eulau, H., Wahlke, J.C., Buchanan, W. and Ferguson, L.C. (1959) ‘The role of the representative: Some empirical observations on the theory of Edmund Burke’, American Political Science Review 53 (03): 742–756.
Giandomenico, M. (1996) Temporal Consistency and Policy Credibility: Why Democracies Need Non-Majoritarian Institutions, Florence: European University Institute, Working Paper RSC No 96/57.
Goetz, K.H. (2014) ‘A question of time: Responsible and responsive democratic politics’, in L. Bardi, S. Bartolini and A. Trechsel (eds.) Special Issue ‘Responsive and responsible? The role of parties in twenty-first century politics’, West European Politics 37 (2): 379–399.
Katz, R.S. and Mair, P. (1995) ‘Changing models of party organization and party democracy: The emergence of the cartel party’, Party Politics 1 (1): 5–28.
Krouwel, A. (2012) Party Transformations in European Democracies, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Mair, P. (2013) Ruling the Void. The Hollowing of Western Democracy, London: Verso.
Mair, P. (2014) ‘Representative vs. Responsible Government’, in I. van Biezen (ed.) On Parties, Party Systems and Democracy. Selected Writings of Peter Mair, Colchester: ECPR Press, pp. 589–601.
Rose, R. (2014) ‘Responsible party government in a world of interdependence’, in L. Bardi, S. Bartolini and A. Trechsel (eds.) Special Issue ‘Responsive and responsible? The role of parties in twenty-first century politics’, West European Politics 37 (2): 253–269.
Scharpf, F. (1999) Governing in Europe: Effective and Democratic? Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schattschneider, E.E. (1960) The Semi-sovereign People: A Realist’s View of Democracy in America, Hinsdale, IL: Dreyden Press.
Weissberg, R. (1978) ‘Collective vs. dyadic representation in congress’, American Political Science Review 72 (2): 535–547.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This article is based on a Special Lecture delivered by the author at the Salamanca ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops on 11 April 2014.
Opinion polls constantly registered benevolent popular attitudes towards the EU policy making in most MS. This circumstance was seen as an acceptance, although passive, of the EU practices and decisions and was termed ‘permissive consensus’.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
bardi, l. Political Parties, Responsiveness, and Responsibility in Multi-Level Democracy: The Challenge of Horizontal Euroscepticism. Eur Polit Sci 13, 352–364 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/eps.2014.27
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/eps.2014.27