The Referendum as a Means for the European Union’s Democratic Legitimacy
The Referendum as a Means for the European Union’s Democratic Legitimacy

Summary/Abstract: The European Union, a political and legal entity without precedent, is constantly criticized for its lack of democratic legitimacy. Direct election by the citizens of the European Parliament’s members, the European citizens’ initiative or the attempt to engage the population in the treaties’ revision process by convening national referenda, have not represented sufficiently powerful means to repel the scepticism towards Brussels’ distant power. Could a European-wide referendum increase the Union’s legitimacy? Which would be the risks and which would be the advantages of such initiative? Also, which could be the institutional mechanisms that would best serve the configuration of a European referendum? The aim assumed by this paper is offering an answer to all the above questions, finding at the same time a new perspective over a constitutional device with a lasting tradition.

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