Civil society and the European common security and defence policy |
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Authors: | Matthias Dembinski Jutta Joachim |
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Institution: | 1. Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, Baseler Str. 27-31, D-60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;2. Institute of Political Science, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 50, D-30167 Hannover, Germany |
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Abstract: | The involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) is widely regarded by students of the EU's domestic policy fields as enhancing transparency and accountability and, more generally, the democratic quality of political processes. This article explores the contribution of CSOs to the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy and assesses whether a democracy-enhancing effect of their involvement can also be demonstrated for this policy field. We analyse the contribution of CSOs based on two common models of democracy: the intergovernmental and the supranational model of democracy. We find that CSOs are indeed quite actively involved in the EU's security policy. With regard to their democracy-enhancing effects, however, our findings are rather mixed. While the engagement of CSOs does provide a remedy for the democratic deficits associated with intergovernmental decision-making, these organizations do not fully meet the demands posed by supranational governance. |
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Keywords: | civil society non-governmental organizations European security and defence policy democracy |
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