European parties in the post-Lisbon reality

摘要

European elections have long been considered ‘second-order national elections’. However, the Treaty of Lisbon brings about a window of opportunity, particularly when it comes to reinforcing democratic legitimacy and political participation in the EU. This article tries to shed light on potential ideas to make European Parliament elections more comprehensible and attractive for the citizens of the EU. Two steps in this direction are to establish a clear-cut link between the European Commission (both the president and its members) and the European elections, and a proposal for a new type of European manifesto. Successful implementation of these ideas requires reform in the content of the work of European parties.