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The European Union has full statehood, and then it's the question whether you can have a democracy without having a state. But you do have citizenship of the European Union, which comes with a number of privileges. To name a few:

  • Voting and standing as a candidate in communal elections in the country of residence
  • Optional voting and standing as a candidate in European Elections in the country of residence
  • Fall-back use of any Member State's diplomatic and consular services when travelling abroad
  • Freedom of movement within the European Union
  • Anti-discrimination rights (that are interpreted broadly by the European Court of Justice)

The democracy of the EU could also be criticised because the European Parliament doesn't have a right to decide over all areas of legislation. Still, I think that the co-decision procedure covers most of the legislation that we see. Furthermore, the areas where the EP doesn't have more than advisory role require a unanimous decision by the Council.

From 2009, the MEPs will also finally be getting the same pay.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Mon Dec 8th, 2008 at 06:29:25 AM EST
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