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10AspectsofDemocracy
1010Introduction
Democracyhasseveralaspects:politicalliberalisminsistedontheultimate
goalsofsecuringfreedomandformalequalitythroughaformaldemocracy.It
includestheseparationofpowersfollowingtheideasofMontesquieuthroughthe
independenceoflegislative,executiveandjudiciarypowers.Inaddition,some
statesareevenorganisedthroughaverticalseparationofpowers,mostlyasafed-
eralstate.InLocke’sliberaltraditionofdemocracytheruleoflaweliminatesarbi-
trarydecisions.Inalienablefundamentalrights,humanrightsasnaturallawand
theprotectionofminorities,anduniversalandequalsuffragebelongtothistype
ofdemocracy.Furthermore,rulersneedlegitimationthroughtheindirectordi-
rectelectionofgovernmentswhichguarantee(input)legitimacyfortheprocessof
decision-making.Lastbutnotleast,thereshouldbeafreepressasawatchdogto
combatnepotism,bribery,andcorruptionandtoguaranteetransparency.
TheEUstressesthecentralityofthesefeaturesofdemocracywithitsaccession
criteriafornewmemberstates(CopenhagenCriteria).TheTreatyontheEurope-
anUnionsetsouttheconditionsandprinciplestowhichanycountrywishingto
becomeanEUmembermustconform.Thesecriteriaincludethestabilityofthe
institutionsthatguaranteedemocracy,theruleoflaw,humanrightsandrespectfor
andprotectionofminorities.1Thedangerremains,however,thatafteraccession
compliancewiththesestrictcriteriaisweakandthatmonitoringisinadequate.
TheEUcanonlythenintervenewhenamemberstatehasseriouslycontravened
EUguidelines.However,topursuepossibleinfringementproceedingsmayinturn
increasehostilitytowardstheEU(Bergmann2019:12).
1
https://eur-lex0europa0eu/summary/glossary/accession_criteria_copenhague0html?locale=en
(accessed:1801202019)0
