What are the main reasons EU is considered a democratic union?

Accountability is a key determinant of a democratic system. The people elected in a democratic society must gain the voters’ confidence. The EU can be described as a legitimate because the members of the Council of Ministers are accountable to their respective parliaments. However, some question this accountability since some ministers can be outvoted. In such cases, a minister cannot be held accountable to the decision that has been made by other colleagues. Mark Franklin said, “Democracy is a core tenet of the European Union, yet the linguistic, geographical and cultural diversity of the region poses challenges when assessing pan-EU electoral procedures.”

One of the main reasons why the EU is described as a democratic system is because voters have the power to decide who governs them. It is important to note that democracy should exist beyond these elections and that it should be possible for outside voices to be considered during policy-making processes.  When voting on different policies, ministers should consider the opinions of the people who will be affected by the said policies. EU elections perform key functions like allowing voters to choose a government, determine the direction of public policy, and have a human representative as the face of the government. However, these elections do not determine the composition of the Commission, how it is governed, and the color of the Union. One can conclude that the EU has a democratic structure in place, but this does not speak to the legitimacy and democracy of the union.