EP Elections: Discussion
EUIJ Kyusyu, EP Elections 2014
Yuichi Morii
ymorii@ask.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Why do we discuss the EP’sElection in Japan?
Three viewpoints:
1. Implications for the EU’s external policies?
 Change of the EU’s external policies
 through the strengthened role of the EP?
 through the existence of the new political players (more Eurosceptic members of the EPetc.) in the EP?
 How should Japan behave in the new situation? (policy implications)

2. Implications for the EU’s internal politics
 EU level Member state level
3. Interest in the EU’s sui generis political system Democracy Efficiency

1

Results （comparison2009/2014）
Turnout 2009, 43.90%, 2014, 43.09%
EPP and ALDE less, S&D unchanged.
“Others”(white, left and right) increased.
2009年

2014年

2

Political Groups3

Result: Germany

4Result, France5Result, UK

6

Political Implications of the EP
1. External Relations
 The Lisbon treaty strengthened the external aspects of the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security
 Vice President of the Commission
 European External Action Service (EEAS)

 EP
 Direct role is limited in foreign and security policy.
 But, assent and control through budget
 Arena for debate.
 EPA, TTIP etc, strong influence The 2014 election would not bring big change because of thegrand coalition nature.

7

Political Implications of the EP
2. Internal Politics
 Never mind with one German Neo-Nazi in the EP
 Result of the German EP Electoral System Change Decision by the German Federal Constitutional Court
 to abolish the 5% clause in the EU
 EP is not to elect the government!
 7 small parties (scattered) 25 Members of the EP from more than 7 Countries rule for a Group Be more careful with the Alternative for Germany (AfD)

the first success for the party (7 Seats, 7%)yet, will the AfD survive?
Anti EU/ Eurosceptic sentiment is obvious in Europe
Not a big problem for German politics
 Grand Coalition (political consensus)
 Stable Government and the Political System

8

9

10

Implications of the results
 The result of the Elections by itself may not be a big problem
for the politics in the EU’s system.

 But, the impact for domestic politics is a larger concern.
 Challenges to European politics in each member state; Populism,nationalism and democracy Front National (FN) in France
 2017 presidential election
 United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Euroscepticism
 Scotland Independence Referendum

11Changing European Politics
 European Union made the peace self-evident inside theEU

 Economic and social unsatisfaction in the process ofadopting to the globalization
 Changing welfare state Lisbon Strategy and the success of the Germany’s

Schroeder Reform Lowering the labor costs through the flexible labor market.
 Hardship in change Blaming the EU12

3. Democracy and Europe/EU
 Do we have the “future vision” of Europe?
 The end of the “Democratic deficit”
 as a analogy of domestic parliament/ government relations
 uploading the democracy model to the EU “The End of the Integration” (K. Endo, 2013), integration in the EU
goes on.

 But the problem of democracy continues
 even much more complicated because of the new rules by theLisbon treaty.
 the strengthened role of the EP subsidiarity check clause etc.

13

Difficulty with European Public
Sphere or Demoicracy Single political sphere does not exist in the EU, only national
political spheres

 Demos/people in plural, Demoi + kratos
 Kaplyso Nikokaidis, Cheneval/Schimmelfennig

 Will the new EP change the situation?
 EP, democracy without demos.
 New EP campaign/ election of the top candidate Juncker weresome steps toward the European discussion.
 No grave change in the near future.
 How can citizens be satisfied with this complicated situation?

14

Control of the EU/MS Government throughdomestic system: Domestication (institutionaldomestic constraints) by S. Harnisch Important role of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) FCC’s decisions bind the government.
 Control by the Federal Parliament (Bundestag), Budget Committee, not by
the special experts sub-committee
 “comprehensive” and “as soon as possible” according to the Article 23,
Basic Law (Constitution)

 German problem of the “Multilateralism Trap” （M. Kaim） and the realcontrol by the parliament International Cooperation > Domestic Discussion

 Loss of efficiency and flexible negotiation more difficult in the EU Role of the consensus in politics, Grand coalition

15

Questions
 What kind of strategies to strengthen the democracy in the EU?
 Maybe, not the problem of the level of the democratic control, but
the satisfaction of the citizens.
 Efficiency vs. Legitimacy

 Future role of the Nationalist parties
 stable growth and social stability would weaken the nationalist.
 But, is it possible under the strong influence by the German model?

 The role of the first “democratically elected” president of thecommission.
 Can he establish a culture of leadership in consensus?

16