The Essence and Evolution of Democracy in Europe

What is the true meaning of democracy? According to the Oxford Dictionary, democracy is defined as, “A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. ” This definition reflects the essence of democracy as a governance system that empowers the people to have a say in how they are governed. The origin of democracy can be traced as far back as Ancient Greece, with credit given to the city of Athens for developing the idea of a country being ruled by the people.

The Greek term for democracy, “demokratia,” originated from the two Greek words, “demos” (the people) and “kratia” (power and authority). This ancient concept has evolved over centuries, adapting to meet the changing needs and expectations of societies worldwide.

The European Perspective

Although democracy was originally founded in Ancient Greece, a majority of European countries have widely elected to utilize another form of democracy known as parliamentary democracy. This form of democracy was first established in Britain and represents a category of systems where voters decide which members are elected into the parliament. It is these members of the legislature specifically who formulate the governing administration. These elected legislative officials are deemed responsible for three major roles within their form of government, including proper representation of the majority of the people, the establishment of laws on the basis of the people they govern, and the overall governance of the regime. Upon assembling members into the parliament, the Prime Minister is the very first of the elected figures to be appointed. The roles and responsibilities of a Prime Minister are similar to that of the President of the United States. However, in the United States, the power is divided up among three separate and equally important branches of government: the executive, the judicial, and the legislative branches. Unlike in America, where the President is the head of the executive branch, the Prime Minister has control within the legislative branch. The legislative branch focuses on proposing and passing new laws that are considered to be in the best interest of the people governed. Although this form of government is considered a democracy, a majority of European citizens would much rather prefer becoming a full-on democracy.

Challenges and Movements for Change

In 2015, a Greek finance minister by the name of Yanis Varoufakis initiated a political motion now referred to as “DIEM,” or the “Democracy in Europe Movement.” A vast quantity of the European people want this movement to take place due to the cumulative fear of the events that can potentially occur in the foreseeable future at the hands of the European Union. The European Union was established shortly after the end of World War II, with the intention of forming a union that was compatible with other countries and maintaining peace among these nations through the trade of goods and necessities. Even though the European Union is considered responsible for several different peace treaties that have occurred within Europe, there are those who believe that the union is heading towards the direction of a monarchy. According to the Delegation of the European Union, “The European Union is not similar to anything else, not similar to a government, an association of states, or even an international organization.” The form of government known as a Monarchy is a type of system that is held under the rule of a distinguished royal family. Several countries throughout Europe are known to be held under a monarchy governed by royal families. An example of a European country that has a monarchy-style government would be England. In England, the Monarchy is run by the queen and the royal family. However, many Europeans living under this form of government are not entirely satisfied with the outcomes and are wanting to voice their concerns in hopes of demonstrating their beliefs, which is to become a country that is governed under a full democracy and not a monarchy. Europeans are leaning more and more towards a shift of government due to a majority of them not believing in the intentions of the European Union and that it is simply formed by the likes of extremists and technocrats.

The Role of Technocracy

A technocracy “is a form of government wherein decision-makers are chosen for a governing office based on their technical expertise and background.” Politicians who are labeled as technocrats typically are individuals that lack the political discernment or the personal appeal often anticipated of political leaders who are able to persuade people's judgment and votes, and ultimately get elected into a government position. Rather, these types of politicians, including those from engineering or scientific backgrounds, tend to exhibit a more philosophical approach and exemplify a great use of data-based and problem-solving-oriented skill sets when running for a government position. This political movement even made its appearance in the United States at the time of the Great Depression. Many people believed that these technical professionals would be better suited to understand the economy and keep it from failing even further. This form of governing seems considerably appealing and sensible; however, a potential political figure cannot configure his decision-making based upon how a country needs to be led solely off its technological output. Although these individuals are extremely intelligent and highly respected in their field of work, it doesn’t necessarily make them capable of handling all the different responsibilities of running a country efficiently. People of Europe do not wish to have their countries and way of living placed into jeopardy by this standard of living and are afraid of the European Union’s ideals on how a country should be run. This is a major reason why many of these nations strive every day to become a full democracy.

The Appeal of Full Democracy

There are several reasons that exist as to why an overwhelming percentage of citizens living in European countries wish to turn to a democracy-run government. For example, governments run under a democracy are typically better economically, display better standards for dealing with political corruption, and are less likely to be forced into conflict. With the undeniable success displayed by countries run under a democracy, it’s not hard to understand why many Europeans are wanting to shift towards this type of government. Nevertheless, there are always those who wish to remain in power and don’t actually encourage this governmental shift towards a full democracy. Even with the recent push from European countries towards becoming a full democracy, progress has been incredibly slow and will continue to take years of work to see any real results. If noticeable progress begins taking place in these European countries, those in power will surely attempt to extinguish the fire in attempts to retain their power and way of living. As a result, many believe this will lead to more problems that could potentially hinder Europeans from ever fulfilling their goals of becoming a full democracy. The European Union deals with political aspects of running a government in substantial amounts. This leads many Europeans to believe that they’re lacking responsibility by the very policies in which they aim to enforce.

Conclusion: A Call for Democratic Reform

Personally, I believe that all European countries should convert their governments towards becoming a democracy. A democracy allows “the many” to have a voice and opinion on what they believe in, not just “the few” who think they speak for everyone. A democracy is a system that provides limitations to the power and capabilities of the country’s leader. There very well might be some European countries that appear to be doing fine and don’t believe that things need to change if it’s been working for centuries. However, a democracy is a form of government where the people actually have a say in what sort of lives they want to live and what kind of future our children are brought up in. The people of Europe need to band together and decipher what is ultimately the best option for them going forward. There are considerable amounts of evidence that indicate full-on democracies work effectively and have the people's best interests in mind. People should not be controlled; rather, they should be allowed to have a say on the things that go on that will determine how they are allowed to live their lives.

People of Europe continue to express their desire to become a full-on democracy, much like the United States, and are actively fighting to change this. But many of those holding power in Europe are not exactly in favor of relinquishing it to appease the masses. European citizens are not only concerned for their rights and future but also for what type of future their children will be subjected to. The journey towards a full democracy is challenging, but with persistence, unity, and a shared vision for a better future, it is a goal that can be achieved.

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