DEMOS

 

Forty years after the Treaty of Rome, Europe’s citizens feel more distant than ever from the decisions made in their name. While the public wants the EU to act on jobs, security and the environment, the European agenda is dominated by a single currency and the Common Agricultural Policy. Drawing on opinion data and audits of political activity, the author shows how this situation has developed and argues that only political parties ­– radically reformed and operating at a European level ­­– can provide an effective link between the public and decision makers. Mark Leonard is Director of the Foreign Policy Centre.