Strengthening Democracy in the EU:

Alternative Forms of Representation

REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACIES:

The European Parliament as a Deviant Case

PROFESSOR RICHARD ROSE

Visiting Professor European University Institute

This is paper is part of a project on Representing Europeans funded by British Economic & Social Research Council grant RES-062-23-1892.

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DIFFERENT FORMS OF REPRESENTATION IN SECOND CHAMBERS 

POPULAR ELECTION OF MOST MEMBERSCzech Republic Italy PolandRomania Spain

FEDERAL REPRESENTATION OF TERRITORIESAustria Belgium Germany SwitzerlandAustralia United States

REGIONAL, LOCAL REPRESENTATIONFrance Netherlands

CORPORATISTIreland Slovenia

APPOINTEDCanada United Kingdom

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1212

1933

414242

54606162

6668707172727575

9697

113122123126

131134

0 50 100 150

LuxembourgMalta

CyprusEstonia

LithuaniaLatvia

SloveniaIrelandFinland

SlovakiaDenmarkBulgariaHungary

Czech Rep.PortugalBelgiumAustriaSwedenGreece

RomaniaNetherlands

Poland Italy

GermanyUnited King.

France Spain

CROSS-NATIONAL INEQUALITY IN REPRESENTATION

Index of inequality (100 = complete equality)

Source: Calculated by dividing the population per MEP in each country by the number of electors per MEP in the whole EU, as reported in Table 1, and multiplying the result by 100.

Under-represented

Over-represented

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0.200.19

0.23 0.23

0.27 0.27

0.21

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009

GROWING INEQUALITY IN REPRESENTATION OF EU CITIZENS

Note: Gini coefficient calculated on the distribution of seats at the start of each Parliament.

Gini coefficient

Year of European Parliament election

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CO-DECISION IS NOT A BICAMERAL BALANCE

Gini index

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Qualified Majority Vote

EPseats

Gini indexes

PERMANENT COMMITMENTS BY TRANSITORY NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS

Source: European Journal of Political Research, Political Data Yearbook 2005, 2006, 2007 and www.parties-and-elections.de

Vote for national governments in EU member states

Vote for governing parties national election before 2009 EP ballot

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INEQUALITIES IN REPRESENTATION COMPARED

Gini Coefficient

US Senate .50

Bundesrat .35

EC: Qualified Majority Vote .35

European Parliament .27

Bundestag .04

U.S. House .04

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EVALUATING PROPOSALS FOR REFORMING THE EP

GiniCoefficient

Countries

Gain Lose

Existing EP.27 n.a. n.a.

+ Croatia, Iceland .29 10 11

Square root formula .36 20 6

Base + prop .25 6 16

Double majority referendum

Popular vote .00 n.a. n.a.

States Variable 14+ 14-

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