EP – a Parliament without demos Exploring the role of the European Parliament and representation in EU

Abstract: In this thesis the role of the European Parliament has been explored and analysed. Four scenarios for European Integration: Europe of States, United States of Europe, Europe of Regions and Europe of Networks developed by Jönsson et al, have been employed as a framework for the analysis. To examine the principle role of the EP in each scenario, in addition to the varying possibilities and challenges each democratic scenario poses, Christopher Lord’s model of Audit Democracy, as well as Oddvar Eriksen and Erik Fossum’s deliberative models for democracy, have been employed. The role of the EP as a representative institution is challenged in Europe of Networks and Europe of States. In the United States of Europe, the EP has the role of a federal parliament. The EP’s status in Europe of Regions depends on whether the regions will replicate the representative institutions of nation states or if new forms of organisation will develop. All the scenarios are found to face difficulties in meeting the democratic models’ requirements. Different forms of identity are a key aspect of the models’ feasibility. A general difficulty is how to combine territorial and non-territorial forms of organisation.