Organizing democracy at the supranational level? The case of European parties

The strengthening of Political Parties at the European Level (ppel) is a salient issue for European politics because of the close relationship that exists with the state of European democracy Because parties have traditionally served as the link between institutions and society, it is critical to assess whether and how ppels can effectively perform this function in the complex context of the European Union, as well as whether they can ensure a remarkable level of involvement and democratic participation among European citizens. The fulfilment of these tasks might be regarded an essential component of developing eu-level democracy.

For these reasons in this article we aim to sketch the governance and organisational model of ppels, and in particular assess the state of intra party democracy and participation within Europarties. To accomplish this, numerous organisational factors are examined, with a focus on aspects relating to the tools used to promote individual membership and participation.

The analysis provides evidence that the actual governance structure of ppeldoes not support broader involvement and participation and as a result, Europarties remain largely insulated from European societies. The democratic flaws of these parties inevitably have a negative impact on the strengthening of eu democracy.