The Role of the European Parliament in Strengthening Democratic Representation in the European Union

Abstract

The European Parliament (EP) has evolved from a consultative assembly of national delegates in the 1950s to a directly elected co-legislator with significant powers in the ordinary legislative procedure (OLP), budgetary authority, and executive oversight, positioning it as the primary institutional vehicle for addressing the EU’s democratic deficit. Through successive treaties from the Single European Act to the Treaty of Lisbon the EP has gained co-decision rights across most policy areas, final say on the annual budget and Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), discharge authority over Commission spending, and influence via the Spitzenkandidaten process for Commission President selection. Its role in protecting the rule of law through budgetary conditionality (Regulation 2020/2092) and scrutiny mechanisms further strengthens democratic accountability. However, persistent challenges include the “second-order” character of EP elections (lower turnout, national focus), the absence of a genuine European public sphere, fragmented transnational political groups, and tensions with intergovernmental bodies like the European Council. The 2024 elections highlighted increasing polarization and a rightward shift, complicating traditional grand coalitions while amplifying debates on climate, migration, and rule-of-law issues. Proposed reforms full legislative initiative for the EP, transnational electoral lists, and enhanced transnational parties aim to deepen the European dimension of representation. While the EP cannot fully replicate national parliamentary democracy in the EU’s sui generis system, its continuous empowerment remains essential for enhancing input legitimacy, transparency, and citizen connection in an increasingly politicized Union facing polycrises.