Affiliation:
1. Department of Regional Studies, Vytautas Magnus University
2. Department of Political Science, Vytautas Magnus University
Abstract
This
article examines the problem of legitimacy within the EU political system and
focuses on the political power and recognition of the only one directly elected
EU institution – the European Parliament. Historically, being the weaker
house of the EU legislative system, throughout the last decades, the
European Parliament has increased the political authority dramatically. These
political changes should have risen the participation of the EU citizens in the
elections and the legitimacy of this EU institution. Analysing the Lithuanian
case, based on the qualitative interviewing of politicians and quantitative
survey of citizens, the authors claim that while most of Lithuanians recognise
the significance of the European Parliament and the turnout in the European
elections has increased, the European Parliamentary elections remain, however,
of secondary importance.
Publisher
Institute for Development and International Relations
Subject
Political Science and International Relations