Abstract
The democratic legitimacy of the European Union has long been questioned and debated upon. In this essay we will consider the role of interest representation and discuss whether or not it aids or demoralizes the ideals of democracy. In order to fully investigate this question we will first need to understand the concept of 'democracy' in the European Union, touch on the well known arguments denouncing the claims of European democracy and also comprehend what is meant by interest representation. We will then look at how interest representation in the EU functions and analyze the after effects that it has on democracies in the EU. An important point of discussion will be analyzing where interest representation is focused and if it can alleviate the so called democratic deficit created by some of the EU's main institutional bodies. This democratic deficit charges the European Union with a lack of democratic legitimacy, by stating that the institutions which wield power (mainly the Commission and the Councils) are unelected bodies, and thus their formation results in power that has no legitimate source. We will also determine if interest representation can counterbalance these claims.
