Democratic legitimacy of the European Union

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/democratic-legitimacy-of-the-european-union

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of EU member states?27 sovereign states are members of the European Union
2. What is the year of first direct european parliament elections?1979 marked the inaugural year for direct elections to the European Parliament
3. What does "democratic legitimacy" mean for the EU?It means the EU is trusted because its leaders come from elected governments and its own Parliament is elected by people.
4. Why were European Parliament members first chosen by national parliaments?Before 1979, MEPs were appointed by national parliaments, giving indirect representation but no direct vote from citizens.

Democratic Legitimacy: The principle that a government's authority and right to rule are derived from the consent of the governed.
European Parliament: The directly elected legislative branch of the European Union, representing EU citizens and sharing legislative power.
Democratic Deficit: A perceived lack of democratic accountability and citizen participation in the decision-making processes of the EU.
Intergovernmentalism: A theory of international relations where states cooperate through agreements, retaining significant sovereignty.