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Strengthening Democracy in the EU:
Alternative Forms of Representation
REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACIES:
The European Parliament as a Deviant Case
PROFESSOR RICHARD ROSE
Visiting Professor European University Institute
This is paper is part of a project on Representing Europeans funded by British
Economic & Social Research Council grant RES-062-23-1892.
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DIFFERENT FORMS OF REPRESENTATION IN SECOND CHAMBERS
Czech Republic
Romania
Austria
Australia
France
POPULAR ELECTION OF MOST MEMBERS
Italy
Poland
Spain
FEDERAL REPRESENTATION OF TERRITORIES
Belgium
Germany
Switzerland
United States
REGIONAL, LOCAL REPRESENTATION
Netherlands
CORPORATIST
Ireland
Slovenia
APPOINTED
Canada
United Kingdom
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CROSS-NATIONAL INEQUALITY IN REPRESENTATION
Index of inequality (100 = complete equality)
Spain
France
United King.
Germany
Italy
Poland
Netherlands
Romania
Greece
Sweden
Austria
Belgium
Portugal
Czech Rep.
Hungary
Bulgaria
Denmark
Slovakia
Finland
Ireland
Slovenia
Latvia
Lithuania
Estonia
Cyprus
Malta
Luxembourg
134
131
126
123
122
113
97
96
75
75
72
72
71
70
68
66
62
61
60
54
42
42
41
33
19
Overrepresented
12
12
0
50
Underrepresented
100
150
Source: Calculated by dividing the population per MEP in each country by the number of
electors per MEP in the whole EU, as reported in Table 1, and multiplying the result by 100.
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GROWING INEQUALITY IN REPRESENTATION OF EU CITIZENS
Gini
coefficient
0.30
0.25
0.21
0.20
0.20
0.23
0.23
1994
1999
0.27
0.27
2004
2009
0.19
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
1979
1984
1989
Year of European Parliament election
Note: Gini coefficient calculated on the distribution of seats at the start of each
Parliament.
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CO-DECISION IS NOT A BICAMERAL BALANCE
Gini index
Qualified
Majority Vote
EP
seats
Gini indexes
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PERMANENT COMMITMENTS BY TRANSITORY NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS
Vote for national governments in EU member states
Vote for governing parties national election before 2009 EP ballot
Source: European Journal of Political Research, Political Data Yearbook 2005,
2006, 2007 and www.parties-and-elections.de
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INEQUALITIES IN REPRESENTATION COMPARED
Gini
Coefficient
US Senate
.50
Bundesrat
.35
EC: Qualified Majority Vote
.35
European Parliament
.27
Bundestag
.04
U.S. House
.04
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EVALUATING PROPOSALS FOR REFORMING THE EP
Gini
Coefficient
Countries
.27
Gain
n.a.
Lose
n.a.
Existing EP
+ Croatia, Iceland
.29
10
11
Square root formula
.36
20
6
Base + prop
.25
6
16
Double majority
referendum
Popular vote
.00
n.a.
n.a.
Variable
14+
14-
States