The changing space for EU politics: Democracy and ideology in times of crisis

The casualties of the 2007-08 global financial crisis are already numerous, ranging from sustained output losses and far-reaching social aftershocks to dismal public finances. Today, many now fear that democracy and representation will be the next victim.

In the European Union, in particular, the sovereign debt crisis seems to undermine popular perceptions of democratic politics at a time when deeper EU integration is being fast-tracked, driven by the sheer economic necessity of avoiding euro area break-up, or worse still, large-scale disintegration. The outcome will be a new “conditionality regime” pledging to guard Europe from future turmoil.

Against this background, this paper re-visits the debate about the EU’s alleged, perceived or real “democratic deficit”. It does so by looking at the changing space for EU politics and how political parties, both on the left and right, need to adapt in order to provide meaningful choices vis-à-vis European integration. It concludes that on current form politics will struggle to sustain Europe's direction of travel.