The uses of democracy

Like the child in the fairy tale, many European Union scholars protest the ‘Emperor has no clothes’.2 Though the EU dresses itself up in the rhetoric of democracy-a fundamental requisite for Member States-it is covered at best by only the scantiest democratic fig leaf. So far, however, the Union’s failure to acquire the trappings of democratic decency has been of little political consequence. This fact should give commentators pause for thought. It suggests either the European ruling elites are cynically testing how far they can get away with their deception, or that current denunciations of a democratic deficit are oversimplified.