How to Democratize the European Union … And Why Bother? By Philippe C. Schmitter. Lanham, MD, and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000. 150p. $59.00 cloth, $17.95 paper.

Abstract

This thoughtful book builds on Schmitter's earlier work on European integration and, more recently, his interest in democratization in Latin America and southern Europe. Schmitter joins the ever expanding ranks of scholars and practitioners from a variety of backgrounds who have tackled the devilish issue of European Union (EU) democracy and legitimacy. This attempt is more hands-on than others. As the title suggests, Schmitter offers a do-it-yourself checklist of reforms to improve the EU's democratic credentials. His larger self-assigned task is to "provoke as wide-ranging a debate as possible on an issue that has just begun to receive the attention it deserves" (p. viii).