Euro zone, legitimacy and democracy: how do we solve the European democratic problem?

Since the start of the crisis, thought about the reform to implement has been limited to the framework of the euro zone and to the response to provide to the deficit of political accountability that is affecting the democratic legitimacy of decision making at this level. But the challenge regarding democratic legitimacy being made to the European Union cannot just be restricted to the euro zone alone, nor can it be reduced to the simple issue of accountability.

The reform of the Union must therefore involve a redistribution of powers and lead to an institutional structure that can rise to two challenges: the creation of clearer, more legitimate and more accountable political leadership; and the strengthening of democratic legitimacy of European decisions by national parliaments and the European parliament so that Europeans can embrace, both politically and democratically, the issues that they have in common.

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