Democracy in Europe

Democracy in Europe: How the EU can survive in an age of referendums

Essay
Mark Leonard was director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform (2005-2007).
05 May 2006

The European Union has never been loved, but for most of the last 50 years it has been accepted. Voters thought that as long as it made them richer and safer they were happy to leave the precise details of treaties to bureaucrats and politicians. Those days are over. The French and Dutch referendums have thrown the European Union into confusion. Officially, the EU is in a 'period of reflection', but the governments are unsure what to do next.

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