The Deficit of Democracy in Europe 4003-213DDUE

The idea and purpose of this lecture is, firstly, to familiarize students with the moral and political dimension of democracy, in that context, to pose the problem of democratic deficit, thirdly to illustrate this issue on the example of the EU, and fourthly, to show the impact of the broader context of global changes on the state of democracy.
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with sources, various assessments and dynamics of the phenomenon of democratic deficit, with emphasizing the nature of this phenomenon in the EU.
Seminar will consist of three thematic blocks:

1. The first part will concern the problem of descriptive and normative definitions of democracy, the main principles of democracy: equality, freedom, sovereignty, representation, strict liability, protection of civil rights, justice, etc.. In particular, the paradoxes and difficulties that are related to the implementation of these democratic values should be highlighted.
2. The second block will concern the political and legal changes (including: the triumph of liberal democracy; postcolonial transformations, dissemination of international organizations, European integration, human rights, etc), cultural and social changes (including: the collapse of 'grand narratives' , individualism, the recognition, multiculturalism, identity, and the dissemination of social rights), as well as economic changes that have affected the evolution of democracy after World War II.
3. The third block deals with general and specific arguments for the so-called democratic deficit in the EU. Their presentation involves its evaluation, as well as an attempt to lighten the broader context of the debate on democratic deficit, in particular the tensions between democracy and liberalism.