Acceso usuarios
Following the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty the European Union (EU) sought to bolster its democratic legitimacy by supplementing its existing representative basis with the first instrument of direct democracy at the supranational level: the European Citizens Initiative. The potential, theoretical significance of the European Citizens Initiative for the democratic legitimacy of the EU is widely recognised, and the Commission itself expected it to be a significant step forward in the democratic life of the Union that would add a whole new dimension of participatory democracy. However, despite these high expectations, the regulation implementing the European Citizens Initiative was strongly criticised early on for its potential to limit its impact. This article examines the extent to which these high expectations have been met in practice and whether this new facet of EU citizenship is a strong opportunity for citizen-led democratic participation in the EU or one that is throttled by institutional mediation
