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The Darling Dogma of Bourgeois E uropeanists
Author(s) -
Somek Alexander
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
european law journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.351
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1468-0386
pISSN - 1351-5993
DOI - 10.1111/eulj.12098
Subject(s) - citizenship , democracy , bourgeoisie , representation (politics) , politics , european union , law and economics , political economy , political science , sociology , epistemology , law , economics , philosophy , international trade
This review article examines critically the belief that national democracies are inherently deficient on democratic grounds since they affect people across their own borders without offering them a voice in the domestic political process. Supranational institutions are supposed to address this problem. The article explains, first, that this belief can be given two different readings: one is liberal, the other democratic. Second, it argues that making sense of this belief requires transforming it into a principle of cosmopolitan citizenship that draws on the idea of virtual representation. The current European Union would look differently if it were to abide by this principle.