Exacerbated Economic Governance in the European Union - Or When Did We Forget About Democratic Legitimacy?

32 Pages Posted: 7 May 2013

See all articles by Fernando Losada Fraga

Fernando Losada Fraga

University of Helsinki, Centre of Excellence in Foundations of European Law and Polity

Date Written: May 2, 2013

Abstract

This paper explores how legitimate are the new governance mechanisms adopted in the context of the Economic and Monetary Union for addressing the economic crisis. To that aim, the relation between governance mechanisms and democratic legitimacy is explored, distinguishing between governance as effective implementation, governance as a complement of democratic legitimacy and governance as an alternative to democratic legitimacy. When compared against the original design of the Economic and Monetary Union in Maastricht, the new institutional arrangements and decision-making mechanisms, resulting either from a supranational strategy (the 'Six Pack', strengthening the coordination of national economic policies) or an intergovernmental strategy (the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union), seem to get the European Union further away from the theoretical assumptions of democratic legitimacy. In particular, concerns from a constitutional perspective, in both national and European levels, are raised.

Suggested Citation

Losada Fraga, Fernando, Exacerbated Economic Governance in the European Union - Or When Did We Forget About Democratic Legitimacy? (May 2, 2013). Helsinki Legal Studies Research Paper No. 24, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2261123 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2261123

Fernando Losada Fraga (Contact Author)

University of Helsinki, Centre of Excellence in Foundations of European Law and Polity ( email )

P.O. Box 4
Helsinki, FIN-00014
Finland

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