Making the European Elections Attractive for Citizens: A Reform of the Electoral System
Making the European Elections Attractive for Citizens: A Reform of the Electoral System

Summary/Abstract: Introduced in 1979 as a tool to reduce the distance between the EU institutions and its citizens, the direct elections for the European Parliament (EP) did not fulfill their initial goals. Thus, during these three decades the powers of the EP increased and the interest and involvement of citizens in elections decreased. The general explanation for citizens’ lack of enthusiasm is the status of the European competitions as second order national elections. The situation cannot change unless real European elections are set. In this respect, our article reveals the numerous problems with the current setting and makes several proposals for electoral reform in order to diminish them. Unlike existing proposals (Hix and Hagemann 2009), ours accommodate transnational issues, tackle the relationship between European and national parties, allow informed choices of the electorate, and are comprehensible for both decision-makers and voters. Our article contributes to existing theoretical and empirical debates on the EP electoral system and provides a valid alternative for political parties and European officials.

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