The Challenge of Democratic Representation in the European Union

Introduction: Political Representation in the EU: A Second Transformation?; S.Kröger & D.Friedrich PART I: WHO REPRESENTS WHOM? ISSUES OF REPRESENTATIVENESS Political Parties at the European Level: Do They Satisfy the Condition of Programmatic Convergence?; E.Sigalas & J.Pollak Interparliamentary Cooperation and Democratic Representation in the European Union; C.Fasone The Committee of the Regions and the Upgrading of Subnational Territorial Representation; S.Piattoni Who do They Represent? Mixed Modes of Representation in EU-based CSOs; H.Johansson Representing Their Members? Civil Society Organizations in the EU's External Relations; M.Rodekamp PART II: THE POLITICS OF CLAIMS-MAKING The Plural Representative Space: How Mass Media and National Parliaments Stimulate Pluralism Through Competition; P.de Wilde A Media Perspective on Political Representation: Online Claims Making and Audience Formation in 2009 EP Election Campaigns; A.Michailidou & H-J.Trenz Unelected Representatives in the Europolitical Field. CSOs Between Berlin and Brussels; E.Jentges PART III: REPERCUSSIONS OF THE EU ON POLITICAL REPRESENTATION From the Margins of European Integration to the Guardians of the Treaties? The Role of National Parliaments in the EU; T.Raunio The Europeanization of Regional Assemblies: a Comparison Between Different Ways of Approaching the Representative Challenge in EU Affairs; E.Griglio Interest Representation in the EU, is there any? A Top-down Perspective; S.Smismans Democracy Promoter or Interest Defender? How the European Commission Influences Non-electoral Representation by Civil Society Organizations; S.Kröger Representing Workers or Presenting EU Prescriptions? Trade Unions from Post-Socialist Member States in EU Multi-level Governance; H.Pleines Conclusion: Transformation as Differentiation. The Diversity of Representation in the European Union; D.Friedrich & S.Kröger Bibliography