Zagadnienie „deficytu demokracji” w Unii Europejskiej. Część II: Aspekty praktyczne związane z funkcjonowaniem systemu instytucjonalnego Wspólnot Europejskich

Abstract

The question of the so-called democracy deficit in the European Unionis one of the most interesting and complex problems and, at the same time,one of the most important challenges the European Union faces at the begining of the 21st century. As emphasised by many scientists and politicians, the process of European integration requires planting, among the citizens of Member States, of firm belief that theirs is a true influence upon the process. In other words, better legitimization of the European Union activities is needed. The article deals with certain aspects of the European Union’s institutional system operation in which democracy deficit reveals. Then, the Author analyzes such problems as competences, positions and interdependencies among the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, theEuropean Parliament and the European Central Bank. Other problems addressed include qualified majority voting in the EU Council and the number of the European Parliament’s members compared to the number of citizens in Member States, as well as passing of financial perspectives specifying the European Union’s expenditures for several years to come.