After Politics

Narve Strand, 05/04/13

The EU essentially means the end of party politics. Only two choices are left: Forget democracy or reformheightenEuropean political culture.

Until 20 years ago, Euro ean $et!een

olitics !as alive and !ell" #ifferences ress reflected t%at divide

arties !ere $ot% o en and real" &%e

and clas% of o inions clearly" 'oters could (a)e infor(ed decisions *elections meant so(et%ing"

&%at !orld is gone" +it% t%e Euro, Euro e (or %ed fro( an econo(ic to a olitical union" All (a,or decision-(a)ing no! ta)es lace in .russels" /ver 00 1 of ne! legislation as !ell" 2t doesn3t (atter if you3ve said no to t%e Euro 4#en(ar)5 or aren3t even a for(al (e($er of t%e EU 4Nor!ay56 .russels is t%e life-$lood of Euro ean si( ly lost its sense" olitics today" &%e idea of de(ocratic sovereignty %as

Not even t%e econo(ic 7olocaust of t%e last 8 years %as c%anged t%is" +%atever t%e causes, Euro e %as $een %it %ardest" Econo(ies in t%e sout% and far !est 49reece, :y rus, 2taly, S ain, Portugal, 2reland5 !ere deci(ated" &%e

rest are (uddling t%roug%" &%ere3s no c%ance of gro!t% in t%e foreseea$le future" Euro ean eo les %ave lost fait% in t%e EU" &%is %asn3t lead to syste( colla se or refor(6 2t %as deepened national de endence on .russels;

Politics today is a$out (anage(ent, social artici ation,

control< not citi=en

u$lic de$ate or elections really" .russels steers, !it% national

govern(ents (a)ing small adjustments here and there " >?eft@, >centre@, >rig%t@ are (ostly sy($olic at t%is oint" Even eAtre(ist arties, laying on t%e anger and frustration of t%e voters, %ave no real c%ance of c%anging t%e ga(e" Party olitics is $asically dead"

2t !on3t %el Euro e if t%e econo(y revives" As long as .russels is $ot% directing and insular, t%e govern(ents are arty syste( stays largely irrelevant" National $et!een t%e ordinary

artially autono(ous too, $ut t%e ga

citi=en and %is or %er re resentative isn3t so glaring" &%ere3s (uc% less el$o! roo( %ere for s ecial interest and o!er3s corru ting ull" &%e EU isn3t olitical life as !e3ve

(erely lagued $y a >de(ocratic deficit@6 2t3s a t%reat to )no!n it in Euro e for 2500 years"

&%ere are t!o !ays out of t%is dile((a" /ne is to c%oose financial security" &%is (eans !aiting around for t%e econo(y to (end" &%e ot%er is to reaffir( freedo( and eBuality, core values of olitical life ever since t%e days of t%e Ancient 9ree)s" &%e c%allenge6 Cinding !ays to (end t%e syste( fro(

!it%in" &%e clue is to t%in) u nations*ordinary citi=ens"

ne! !ays to tilt t%e $alance of

o!er $ac) to

&%oug%t-eA eri(ent6 A arty of ordinary citi=ens, $y ordinary citi=ens, for ordinary citi=ens" &%e elected re resentative doesn3t %ave delegated o!ers of negotiation %ere" &%e arty3s stance on a given issue is c%osen !%olly $y t%e voters" Delevant infor(ation and argu(ents, for and against, are resented on t%e arty3s o!n !e$site" &%e voters de$ate t%e issue online t%e(selves"

&%ey vote online too, or $y $allot as in national elections" &%e $asic idea6 A de- rofessionali=ed, truly o ular arty reduces t%e ga $et!een ordinary

citi=en and re resentative to a (ini(u(" Prediction6 &%is !ould 4i5 en%ance t%e role of ordinary citi=ens, 4ii5 $etter ta)e care of t%eir interests, and so 4iii5 strengt%en olitical life itself"

Curt%er Deading6

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?oc)e, Go%n" 1EFF" Two Treatises of !o"ernment 4:a($ridge, :a($ridge UP5" Jill, Go%n Stuart" 2000" On #i$erty and The %u$jection of Penguin5" omen 4?ondon,

/$er, Gosia%" 1EE3" >Pu$lic S eec% and t%e Po!er of t%e Peo le in #e(ocratic At%ens@, Political %cience, 28, 36 4F1-F8" Da!ls, Go%n" 2005" Political #i$eralism 4Ne! Kor), :olu($ia UP5 Strand, Narve" 2000" &ormati"e 'n(uiry after P%" #" dissertation5 ** 2011" >Putna( and t%e Political@, Philosophy and %ocial Criticism, 30, 06 043-50 ** !!!"!%ats-de(ocracy"org +rig%t, &%o(as" 2012" >+%at if Euro e CailsL@, ashington )uarterly, su((er ittgenstein 4.oston,

issue" /nline6 %tt 6//!!!"$roo)ings"edu/researc%/articles/2012/00/ 28-euro e-crisis-!rig%t