How to fix Europe - Prof. Hix

Summary

In this discussion, Professor Hicks delves into the European Union's challenges post-2007, highlighting the need for increased popular legitimacy, resolving policy gridlock, and addressing the democratic deficit. He advocates for a shift towards 'limited democratic politics' within EU institutions, suggesting reforms to enhance majoritarianism, transparency, and accountability. Hicks also reflects on the Spitzenkandidaten process, emphasizing the importance of political parties in shaping Europe's agenda and the potential for electronic democracy to invigorate European politics.

Takeaways

• 📚 Professor Hicks discusses his book, written in 2007-2008, which remains relevant today, focusing on the European Union's challenges: lack of popular legitimacy, policy gridlock, and democratic deficit.
• 🗳️ The Brexit referendum and rejection of the constitutional treaty in France and the Netherlands exemplify the EU's struggle with popular legitimacy.
• 🔄 Policy gridlock in the EU is due to numerous checks and balances, making decision-making difficult, as seen in responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in Belarus.
• 🌐 Professor Hicks suggests the EU should move towards a model of limited democratic politics with more majoritarianism, transparency, and accountability within EU institutional constraints.
• 🏆 The failure of the Spitzenkandidaten model, where the European Council did not elect the leading candidate from the European Parliament's largest party, is highlighted as a significant setback.
• 📈 To increase the stakes in European Parliament elections, Professor Hicks proposes giving the largest group more committee chairs and agenda-setting power to influence national parties and voters.
• 🌟 He advocates for opening up the Council of the European Union to operate more transparently like a standard legislature, enhancing its legitimacy in legislative politics.
• 📱 The potential for electronic democracy, such as voting via phone apps, is seen as a transformative idea that could make European Parliament elections more engaging and distinct from national elections.
• 🇮🇹 Italy's influence in EU politics is discussed, noting its potential to be more significant given its size and economic power, and the impact of political fragmentation and government types on its role.
• 🤔 Professor Hicks expresses skepticism about the Conference on the Future of Europe's ability to lead to significant changes due to the high hurdles of unanimous agreement and ratification across diverse European entities.

Q & A

What are the three main challenges Professor Hicks identifies for the European Union?

Professor Hicks identifies three main challenges for the European Union: low levels of popular legitimacy, policy gridlock due to numerous checks and balances, and a democratic deficit where the EU is seen as not being accountable.

How does Professor Hicks suggest the EU could move towards a model of limited democratic politics?

Professor Hicks suggests the EU should gradually move towards a model of limited democratic politics by introducing a bit more majoritarianism, transparency, and accountability within the constraints of EU institutions, avoiding a full-blown winner-takes-all system like in the UK.

What was the Spitzenkandidaten model that Professor Hicks advocated for in his book?

The Spitzenkandidaten model is a process where the European political parties put forward lead candidates for the role of Commission President, and the candidate of the party that wins the most seats in the European Parliament elections typically becomes the Commission President.

Why did Professor Hicks believe the Spitzenkandidaten model was not successful in the 2019 European elections?

Professor Hicks believed the Spitzenkandidaten model was not successful in the 2019 European elections because the heads of government rejected the winning candidate and chose Ursula von der Leyen as a compromise candidate instead.

What are Professor Hicks' thoughts on making the European Parliament elections more significant?

Professor Hicks suggests raising the stakes in European Parliament elections by giving the largest group more committee chairs, agenda-setting power, and influence, which would incentivize national parties and voters to take these elections more seriously.

How does Professor Hicks view the transparency of the Council of the European Union?

Professor Hicks believes the Council of the European Union should operate more like a standard legislature with clear open agendas, transparency, and accountability, rather than like a diplomatic body meeting behind closed doors.

What does Professor Hicks think about the potential for a more unified European political culture?

Professor Hicks is optimistic about the development of a political culture in Europe where citizens can identify with different candidates from various places in European-level elections, drawing parallels to how people support football teams across different countries.

How does Professor Hicks envision the role of Italy in shaping European politics?

Professor Hicks sees Italy as a potentially influential player in European politics, especially with the UK's departure from the EU. He notes that Italy's influence can vary depending on the government's alignment with major European political parties and its participation in key decision-making processes.

What is Professor Hicks' opinion on the Conference on the Future of Europe?

While Professor Hicks appreciates the efforts to engage citizens through participatory democracy elements like citizens' assemblies, he is skeptical that the Conference on the Future of Europe will lead to significant changes due to the high hurdles of unanimous agreement among member states and ratification processes.

What 'door-opening law' does Professor Hicks suggest could transform European democracy?

Professor Hicks suggests that introducing an electronic voting app for the European Parliament elections could be a transformative 'door-opening law' that would make European democracy more accessible and engaging for citizens.