Is a steady retreat from democracy a

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Is a steady retreat from democracy a necessary price to be paid for growing involvement in the European Union?

Heywood (2002) defines the 'European idea' as the belief that Europe 'constitutes a single political community' with shared objectives and difficulties despite its historical, linguistic and cultural differences. In the 20th century the European community essentially concerned itself with defence, peace keeping, and economic progress partly in response to the devastation caused by the Second World War. However, the European Union is increasingly focusing on more domestic issues such as civil rights within the EU, environmental issues and social policy. This expansion of the EU was symbolically displayed with the introduction of the Euro, a single European Currency first introduced in the 1st January 1999 (dti, 2005). This has become a contentious issue within Westminster partly due to the economic risks and partly due to the perceived democratic deficit surrounding control of the Euro and all other European Union legislation. The debate over Britain's involvement also encapsulates whether there is actually any benefit in being part of a supranational organisation, which needs to be addressed in this essay. However, it is first essential to investigate whether the EU is undemocratic