The European Union seems incapable of undertaking economic reformsand defining its place in the world. Public apathy towards the EUis also increasing, as citizens feel isolated from the institutionsin Brussels and see no way to influence European level decisions.Taking a diagnosis and cure approach to the EU'sdifficulties, Simon Hix tackles these problems with distinctclarity and open-mindedness. What the EU needs, Hix contends, ismore open political competition. This would promote policyinnovation, foster coalitions across the institutions, provideincentives for the media to cover developments in Brussels, andenable citizens to identify who governs in the EU and to take sidesin policy debates. The EU is ready for this new challenge. Theinstitutional reforms since the 1980s have transformed the EU intoa more competitive polity, and political battles and coalitions aredeveloping inside and between the European Parliament, the Council,and the Commission.This emerging politics should be more central to the Brusselspolicy process, with clearer coalitions and identifiable winnersand losers, at least in the short term. The risks are low becausethe EU has multiple checks-and-balances. Yet, the potentialbenefits are high, as more open politics could enable the EU toovercome policy gridlock, rebuild public support, and reduce thedemocratic deficit. This indispensable book will be of greatinterest to students of the European politics, scholars, policymakers and anyone concerned with the future of the EuropeanUnion.

List of figures, tables and boxes viPreface ixList of abbreviations xi1. Introduction 12. Why the European Union is more necessary than ever 8PART I: THE DIAGNOSIS 293. Policy gridlock 314. Lack of popular legitimacy 505. A democratic deficit 67PART II: THE CURE 876. The case for 'limited democratic politics' in theEU 897. How the EU is ready for limited democratic politics 1108. Encouraging democratic politics in the EU 1379. A scenario: the 2009 European Commission President contest16610. Conclusion and response to potential critiques 179Notes 193References 200Index 208