Governing, fast and slow (and democratically)?

Abstract

Present crises, such as climate change, energy security, and inflation, test the democratic character of the European Union and its Member States. Decision makers have to consider long-term objectives, attaining which will, more often than not, require short-term sacrifices from large parts of society. The incentives in competitive democratic politics often favor temporary fixes and half-hearted political responses in order to avoid electoral punishment. At the same time, an epistocratic political elite that enacts top-down, supposedly "right", policies, fundamentally goes against the principles of democracy. Such approach threatens to further erode societal cohesion within the European Union and its Member States, already under strain after two years of pandemic, rising inflation, and the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Against this background, this panel will ask how European democracies can pursue both effective and sustainable solutions to present crises, without compromising fundamental democratic principles and social cohesion.