This thesis analyses the European Parliament elections of 2014 through the lens of Niklas Luhmann's theory of legitimacy. These elections differed from earlier ones due to the introduction of Spitzenkandidaten, lead candidates, for the position of Commission President by the majority of European party groups. In order to provide the historical context for the elections of 2014, this thesis presents the development of the European Parliament and argues that the search for political legitimacy at the European level was the driving force behind this development, including the recent introduction of
Spitzenkandidaten. The thesis stipulates that Luhmann's work on legitimacy in particular has undeservedly been mostly overlooked in European studies. In order to test the applicability of his work in the context of European democracy, five themes are developed that collectively characterise Luhmann's legitimacy theory. These themes are used as the basis for a
thematic analysis of documents of the Spitzenkandidaten idea's main proponents, these being the European Parliament and Commission and the Spitzenkandidaten of the three parties that are considered to be the most supportive of European integration – the European People's Party, EPP, the Party of European Socialists, PES, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, ALDE. The document analysis confirms the hypothesis that Luhmann's work deserves far more attention from European integration studies than it has so far received.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1) The European Parliament – an Institutional History
2) EU Governance and the Spitzenkandidaten
3) Legitimacy in the EU
4) Niklas Luhmann on Legitimacy
Systems
Legitimacy
Elections
Themes
5) Spitzenkandidaten Documents: A Thematic Analysis
Thematic Analysis I: European Parliament
Thematic Analysis II: European Commission
Thematic Analysis III: European Political Parties
Thematic Analysis: Concluding Remarks
Conclusion
Bibliography
Research Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the democratic legitimacy of the European Union through the introduction of the Spitzenkandidaten process in the 2014 European Parliament elections, utilizing Niklas Luhmann's systems-theoretical approach to analyze how political processes generate institutional legitimacy.
- The historical development and empowerment of the European Parliament.
- Application of Niklas Luhmann's theory of legitimacy through processes to EU governance.
- Thematic analysis of official documents concerning the Spitzenkandidaten process from the Parliament, Commission, and political parties.
- Evaluation of the relationship between voter participation and the legitimacy of the Commission President's selection.
- Assessment of whether Luhmann's holistic theory provides a viable alternative framework for EU integration studies.
Excerpt from the Book
4) Niklas Luhmann on Legitimacy
In chapters one and two this thesis presented the history of the EP and the Spitzenkandidaten process and embedded the search for legitimacy therein. It also showed that important aspects of Luhmann's theories were apparent throughout the EP's empowerment: that of choices, that of sanctioning decision-making power, that of roles, and that of functions. Based on a detailed examination of Luhmann's approach to legitimacy in the first part of this chapter, these themes will be developed and explained in the chapter's concluding section. This includes the aspect of institutionalisation of legitimacy, which did not become apparent in the previous chapters, but which completes Luhmann's theory. Throughout this chapter each aspect of Luhmann's work will be shown to have significance in the context of the EU. In the subsequent chapter, a series of documents pertaining to the 2014 elections will be analysed in order to ascertain to what level these themes played a role in the thinking of key EU actors and whether or not Luhmann's legitimacy theory should be further examined in the context of EU democracy studies.
Systems: Luhmann, beginning in the 1960s, developed systems theory into a universal sociological theory covering all areas of society, including politics. He had been an administrative official after graduating in law with a doctorate at the University of Freiburg. In the 1960s, he turned his interests to the field of sociology gaining his venia legendi in the subject in 1966. Luhmann combined his experience in law and administration with sociology to develop, until his death in 1998, his detailed systems theory (Universität Graz 2002, 1). It posits that society is divided into systems and subsystems with specific functions, rules, and roles for individuals involved in them. The function of a system can be described as finding a solution to a problem, a solution being the choice for one out of a set of possible options. Social systems and subsystems consist of a series of communications or interactions between the individuals and groups that together constitute the problem-solving system. The amount of available solution options for any given problem influences the system's complexity: the more possible solutions that exist, the more communication steps are needed to reach a decision.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the problem of the EU's democratic deficit and introduces the Spitzenkandidaten process as a focal point for investigating legitimacy.
1) The European Parliament – an Institutional History: Details the institutional evolution of the European Parliament and its struggle for increased legislative powers.
2) EU Governance and the Spitzenkandidaten: Examines the origins and implementation of the Spitzenkandidaten process in the context of the 2014 elections.
3) Legitimacy in the EU: Reviews traditional deliberative and representative democracy theories to contrast them with the systems-theoretical perspective.
4) Niklas Luhmann on Legitimacy: Develops five core themes based on Luhmann's theory to provide an analytical framework for political processes.
5) Spitzenkandidaten Documents: A Thematic Analysis: Applies the five themes developed in the previous chapter to official documents from EU institutions and political parties.
Conclusion: Synthesizes findings and suggests that Luhmann's theory offers a robust alternative lens for understanding EU democratic legitimacy.
Keywords
European Parliament, Spitzenkandidaten, Niklas Luhmann, democratic legitimacy, systems theory, European Commission, elections, institutional empowerment, political communication, democratic deficit, EU governance, thematic analysis, political parties, legitimacy through processes, decision-making power.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The work focuses on analyzing the democratic legitimacy of the European Union, specifically regarding the Spitzenkandidaten process introduced during the 2014 European Parliament elections.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The themes include the institutional history of the European Parliament, the theory of democratic legitimacy, systems theory, and the political processes governing the selection of the Commission President.
What is the central research question?
The research asks whether Niklas Luhmann's theory of legitimacy through processes can be effectively applied to the EU context to provide a holistic alternative to traditional democratic theories.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative document analysis, applying five specific themes derived from Luhmann's systems theory to official statements, speeches, and resolutions from key EU stakeholders.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the institutional empowerment of the EP, the theoretical underpinnings of systems theory regarding legitimacy, and a detailed thematic analysis of documents from the EP, Commission, and major political parties.
What are the characterizing keywords?
Key terms include democratic legitimacy, Spitzenkandidaten, systems theory, Niklas Luhmann, and EU institutional development.
How does the Spitzenkandidaten process relate to Luhmann's concept of complexity?
Luhmann's theory suggests that processes reduce societal complexity; the Spitzenkandidaten process simplifies the complex EU decision-making hierarchy by linking individual votes to a specific candidate for the Commission Presidency.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding Luhmann’s theory in the EU?
The author concludes that Luhmann's holistic approach is indeed applicable and valuable for studying EU democratic legitimacy, as it accounts for the unique multi-level governance structure of the Union.
Does the author consider the Spitzenkandidaten process a permanent solution?
The thesis acknowledges that while the process was successful in 2014, its long-term institutionalization remains a subject of ongoing debate and depends on future political developments within the member states.
- Citation du texte
- Liam Fitzgerald (Auteur), 2015, In Pursuit of Democratic Legitimacy? Niklas Luhmann and the European Parliament Elections of 2014, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/310347
