A ‘crisis’ of legitimacy – the role of citizens and democratic control

Much of the discussion of the current crisis in Greece and Europe in general has understandably focused on its economic characteristics. But it is also possible to talk about a crisis of legitimacy from which the European Union suffers – a crisis which predates the current eurozone crisis and even the existence of the euro as a whole. A range of factors have been identified as symptoms of this legitimacy crisis: fluctuating levels of support for, and trust in EU institutions as reported in Eurobarometer surveys; low and falling turnout for European Parliament elections; problems with the ratification of EU treaties, both in referendums and using parliamentary methods; increasing amounts of protest and contestation directed at the EU institutions; and non-, or variable compliance with EU law on the part of member states, to mention just a few.