Democratizing the Politicization of the EU: Channelling Pluralism through New Arenas

This chapter addresses the interaction between politicization, pluralism, and democracy in the European Union. Its point of departure is the claim that the EU needs to recognize its deeply pluralistic character and do more to accommodate the never-ending politicization that also concerns its very identity. We develop an analytical framework that identifies the key desiderata that the debate on the constitutional and democratic identity of the EU should meet. We then zoom in on four arenas that might facilitate such a debate: an EU Constitutional Council, the European Council, a permanent Constitutional Assembly, and a ‘Popular Conference’. For each arena, we analyse how it can be optimized to facilitate the politicization of the EU; the kind of debates that it could host; and how it can accommodate critical voices. We conclude by arguing that by accommodating and responding to EU critics, these proposals may turn the EU’s pluralism from a challenge to a virtue. Even if no fully new institutions are established for the purpose of democratizing and politicizing the debate on the EU’s identity, it is important to think of ways to move from the EU’s traditionally technocratic approach towards a more politicized understanding of democracy.