The negative results of referenda on the EU Constitutional Treaty in France and the Netherlands, and subsequent low-key adoption of the Treaty of Lisbon raise complex questions about the possible democratisation of international organisations. This book provides a full analysis of the EU Constitutional Treaty process, grounded in broader political theoretical debates about democratic constitutionalisation and globalisation.
As international organisations become permanent systems of governance that directly interfere in individuals’ lives, it is not enough to have them legitimated by the consent of governments alone. This book presents an evaluation of the present EU Treaty of Lisbon in comparison with the original EU Constitutional Treaty, and analyses the importance of consent of the people, asking if saving the treaty came at the cost of democracy. Drawing first-hand on the European Convention and the referendum in the Netherlands, Ben Crum outlines an original political theory of democratic constitutionalisation beyond the nation-state, and argues that international organisations can be put on democratic foundations, but only by properly engaging national political structures.
The publication of the book was marked by two book launches in December 2011.
- The first was held at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels with discussant Richard Corbett, Member of the Cabinet of European Council President Van Rompuy, and former Rapporteur on the Constitutional Treaty and on the Lisbon Treaty.
- The second book launch was held at Dudok, The Hague, and organised by the WBS-Europafonds. This event was chaired by Jan Marinus Wiersma, board member of the WBS-Europafonds and former Member of the European Parliament, with discussants Tom de Bruijn, former permanent representative of The Netherlands at the EU, and Ieke van der Burg, former MEP.
Full info:
Learning from the EU Constitutional Treaty: Democratic Constitutionalization beyond the Nation-State
Ben Crum, Routledge, 2011