This book examines how intellectual and political elites have worked to construct and legitimize European integration as a democratic political entity. From the early ideas advanced by Altiero Spinelli in 1949 to the Conference on the Future of Europe, it traces how maximalist federalists, academics, civil society organizations, and segments of actors within EU institutions have contributed to legitimizing the idea that the EU is—or ought to be—a democracy. Moreover, the book seeks to analyze the differing—and at times opposing—visions of democracy advanced by these elites. In doing so, it demonstrates anew that democracy is often constructed by elites rather than by ordinary citizens, thereby legitimizing conceptions of democracy that are more elitist than democracy driven by the broader citizenry.  This book will be of interest to researchers and advanced students of political sociology and political science, as well as the history and political theory of the European Union.

Jessy Bailly is Associate Professor in Political Science at the Institut Catholique de Paris, France. His previous research focused on activist groups from France, Spain and Belgium, i.e. "citizens-monitors" who strive to promote a more active and assertive citizenry towards their elected powerholders at the local level. He currently investigates the institutionalisation of direct citizen participation at the European Union level, and the conflicts over how European elites use sortition at the EU level, in a context marked by the proliferation of mini-publics.