Parties, party system and party government in the European Union

The chapter addresses the question of democratic control at European level of governmental actions, and, above all, of how citizens can be made aware that they are indeed in control. The central thesis of the paper is that parties at European level can be of fundamental importance. Existing national models of democracy are based on party government and on the existence of competitive party systems. Party government requires parties that present integrated organizational structures, with the “party on the ground”, the “party in central office” and the “party in public office” converging, according to precise and institutionalized divisions of labour, in performing such functions. In “normal democracies” the actions of government and the representation of citizens are made fully democratic by the existence of party pluralism, that is of a working party system in which parties operate and interact in respect of their mutual roles (i.e. government and opposition). Barring unlikely, at least in the short to medium term, treaty reforms capable of generating integrated parties and a competitive party system at EU level, significant improvements can be obtained with less momentous reforms, on electoral and party statute/financing matters, and with the possible designation by the Europarties of candidates to the Presidency of the Commission. Finally, because of their lack of executive functions, Europarties can concentrate on the articulation of interests to better perform their representative function and take a more assertive legislative role by exploiting the EP's co-decision powers to force through appropriate amendments legislation that is responsive to European citizens' wishes.