National Sovereignty and National Power in European Institutions

Abstract

A frequently voiced democratic catch phrase is ‘one man, one vote; one vote, one value’. Equality of representation, or proportional representation, is often taken as a guarantee that the democratic criterion is met. Whereas proportional representation may ensure ‘one man, one vote’, however, it is dubious whether it will also ensure ‘one vote, one value’. The latter component is defined here as voting power, and an analytical procedure is outlined which investigates the distribution of power. Application of the procedure to three EEC institutions—the Council of Ministers, the European Assembly, and the European Parliament—indicates clear disparities between the distributions of votes and of power, which have implications for national sovereignty.