Political representation in the European Parliament

The political structure of the European Union is experiencing a period of critical change, as leaders seek to address the twin problems of the ‘democratic deficit’ and institutional effectiveness in the Intergovernmental Conference. Problems of governance, already serious, have become more urgent, and will be further compounded by increasing EU powers and subsequent waves of European enlargement. The widely recognised danger is that the expansion of the European Union will be threatened by a growing crisis of democratic legitimation and of effective governance (Andersen & Eliassen 1996; Hayward 1995). All the articles in this special issue focus on the relationship between citizens and Members of the European Parliament. The aim is to examine the effectiveness of alternative channels of representation, and the way weak linkages contribute towards the democratic deficit within the Union. To understand the problems of democratic legitimacy in the Union we need to unpack the concept of ‘political representation’, which has a number of multifaceted and complex dimensions (Thomassen 1994; Holmberg 1989; Eulau & Wahlke 1978; Birch 1971; Pitkin 1967). Ideas of representation reflect different assumptions about the nature of democracy, the most appropriate linkages between citizens and the state, and the role of legislators.