New Right for Democracy and Development in Europe

This volume analyses the problems and instruments of European citizens' political participation and focuses in particular on the «European Citizens' Initiative» (ECI) right. Introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, the ECI enables European citizens to propose legislative measures to the Commission by collecting one million signatures in at least seven EU countries. The European federalists were the first to initiate one of the most important applications of this instrument with their proposal for a «European Special Plan for Sustainable Development», aimed at addressing the ongoing serious economic and social crisis.
The essays collected in this volume by authors from different disciplines, backgrounds and nationalities offer reflections on citizenship rights and themes relating to the European crisis, as well as on the necessary steps to revive development in Europe. The informative and functional documentation proposed in the Appendix constitutes a user manual for the potential and concrete application of this new right by European citizens and their various associations.

Autorentext

Giampiero Bordino has published historical essays and manuals, in particular on contemporary history. He is member of the Einstein Center for International Studies (CESI) in Turin and a member of the editorial staff of and contributor to the review The Federalist Debate. He writes about issues relating to European unity, supranational federalism and the globalisation process.

Inhalt

Contents: Giampiero Bordino: Citizenship and Participatory Democracy in Europe. The European Citizens' Initiative Right - Giuseppe Allegri: The Right for European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) and Participatory Democracy in the European Union: A New Post-National Practice? - Elisabeth Alber: Direct Democracy: Driving Force for a New Political Federal Culture? - Emmanuel Sigalas: The European Citizens' Initiative. A New Era for Democratic Politics in the EU - Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann: The European Citizens' Initiative: A Great Responsibility for Federalists - Nicola Vallinoto: The European People for a Europe 2.0 - Paolo Ponzano: Refocusing Europe on Growth and Employment. The Citizens' Initiative for an Extraordinary European Plan - Giampiero Bordino: Introduction. The European Citizens' Initiative for a European Special Plan for Sustainable Development - Alberto Majocchi: A European Development Plan to Emerge from the Crisis - Alfonso Iozzo: For a European Sustainable Development Plan - Simone Vannuccini: Desirable Effects of a European Plan for Sustainable Development - Francesca Lacaita/Nicola Vallinoto: A Citizens Initiative for a European Green New Deal.