When there is a mismatch between citizens’ demands and the ability and willingness of political institutions to address them, the outcome can be disorder and instability. A new democratic model – better attuned to its society’s culture – is needed in the EU and the member states. But what that order will look like is still unclear.
To hammer out a new democratic order, Corina Stratulat suggests a dual track: sifting through the existing theories and practices of government to decide what should be preserved, adapted or discarded; but also innovating by harnessing the power of Europe's assertive and eager citizens.
Empowered Europeans should be empowered further with a common political project – inventing the democratic future – and this requires experimentation and innovation. The public officeholder of the future in the EU and national arena of politics should become a hub of connectivity for communities and individuals working together to identify and solve problems, shape decisions, and produce change. By daring to stake out a new democratic frontier, Europe could show the way for democratic polities around the world.
This paper was written as part of the conversations happening around the EPC’s yearly Strategic Council and 2021 Annual Conference “Is Europe still in the global race?”. The conference asks the question: in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges and a changing and unstable geopolitical landscape, can Europe hold its own, or is it destined to bring up the rear in the global race for power and influence? Read the full paper here.