The Lisbon Treaty : EU In Transition - Towards a Federal Order?

Abstract: The EU is changing. Why do we care? Because it is us, the citizens, that make up the Union. This essay attempts to answer questions on how the Lisbon treaty will affect important institutions when it comes to decision-making, namely the European Parliament (EP), the Council of Ministers and National Parliaments, in terms of democracy and legitimacy. The authors use a case study in order to describe and explain what changes the Lisbon treaty brings. The essay is based on democratic theories originating from Robert A. Dahl as well as the federalist and constitutional theories described by Karvonen. The latter theories are used to give an explanation as to where the EU is heading – will it eventually become a federation?The results show that the Lisbon treaty will have positive effects on democratically elected institutions such as the EP and national parliaments, as the treaty enhances their power of decision. Results also prove that the EU show more and more traits of a federal state, as attempts to finalize a constitutional document which would make the Union more “glued” together have been made. These attempts are visible in the Lisbon treaty and their implications facilitate the Union becoming a federation. The authors draw some important conclusions from these results. They find that a strengthened European Parliament as well as strengthened National Parliaments will increase democracy within, as well as the legitimacy of, the Union. They also find important aspects in the new treaty pointing towards a development into a federal state. There seem to be a will amongst politicians to strengthen the unification and as the Lisbon treaty started out being a constitutional document, the authors conclude that the EU leans toward a federal order, however, not in the near future.