European security and defence policy has developed at a significant rate since the late 1990s. As a growing field of analysis, there have been few studies to date that have explored the foreign and domestic implications of the European Union's emerging security and defence policies. This thesis seeks to assess the quality and effectiveness of the present day defence policies of the European Union through an examination of its commitment to civilian and military missions abroad. In so doing, this thesis suggests that these missions stem from a misguided belief that the promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law beyond its border is the most effective means by which to achieve security within Europe. This thesis concludes that the economic and political tools available to the European Union provide a better means by which to ensure security in Europe and around the world.

European security and defence policy has developed at a significant rate since the late 1990s. As a growing field of analysis, there have been few studies to date that have explored the foreign and domestic implications of the European Union's emerging security and defence policies. This thesis seeks to assess the quality and effectiveness of the present day defence policies of the European Union through an examination of its commitment to civilian and military missions abroad. In so doing, this thesis suggests that these missions stem from a misguided belief that the promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law beyond its border is the most effective means by which to achieve security within Europe. This thesis concludes that the economic and political tools available to the European Union provide a better means by which to ensure security in Europe and around the world.

A integração regional denominada Mercado Comum do Sul – MERCOSUL – gera um processo de transbordamento para diversos setores sociais dos países membros, induzido pela necessidade de minoração do déficit democrático, entendido como falta de representação e acesso às decisões do MERCOSUL e combinado com a falta de controle, de transparência e de responsabilização dos atores decisórios. A União Europeia, assim como o Parlamento Europeu, possui mecanismos que visam a minorar o déficit democrático existente na integração regional e podem servir de modelo para o MERCOSUL. A comparação entre a UE e o MERCOSUL, e entre o PARLASUL e o PE se utiliza de mecanismos de aproximação de teorias e de metodologias que possibilitam a análise comparada em nível histórico, institucional, jurídico e político. Ao longo da tese, foram analisadas as atribuições, o controle e a fiscalização, a legitimidade, a participação e a representação no PARLASUL e no PE. As principais fontes dos dados utilizados nesta tese são documentos, tratados e protocolos internacionais, regimentos, legislação e entrevistas realizadas com autoridades relacionadas com o MERCOSUL, especialmente parlamentares do PARLASUL. A utilização do capital social na integração regional pode minorar o déficit democrático e colaborar na criação e na consolidação de redes que qualificam e facilitam a participação e a ação política mais transparente e democrática. A utilização dos pressupostos da democracia pode diminuir a percepção negativa das populações dos países membros do MERCOSUL, em relação às instituições e aos partidos políticos. As proposições da presente tese refletem uma necessidade de adaptação da integração regional aos valores democráticos, representados pela democracia (mais) participativa. Um modelo institucional que indica uma maior participação da sociedade civil e das populações na integração regional, no escopo de minorar o alto déficit democrático existente, é viável a partir da eleição de parte dos representantes do PARLASUL com fortes vínculos associativos, com capital social legitimado e reconhecido socialmente. / The Regional integration known as the Southern Common Market - MERCOSUL, generates the spill over effect for various social sectors of the member countries induces the need for mitigation of the democratic deficit, understood as a lack of representation and access in the decisions of MERCOSUL, combined with the lack of control, transparency and accountability decision-making actors. The European Union, and the European Parliament have mechanisms to reduce the existing democratic deficit in regional integration, and can serve as a model for MERCOSUL. The comparison between the UE and MERCOSUL, and between PARLASUL and the European Parliament uses approaching mechanisms, theories and methodologies that enable comparative analysis in historical, institutional, legal and political level. Assignments were analyzed, control and oversight, legitimacy, participation and representation in PARLASUL and the European Parliament. The main sources of the data used in the thesis are documents, international treaties and protocols, regulations, legislation and interviews with related authorities with MERCOSUL, especially PARLASUL’s parliamentarians. The use of social capital in regional integration can reduce the democratic deficit and contribute to the creation and consolidation of networks that qualify and facilitate participation and more transparent and democratic political action. The use of democracy assumptions may decrease the negative perception of people in MERCOSUL member countries, the institutions, and political parties. Propositions of this thesis reflect a need for adaptation of regional integration to democratic values represented by democracy (more) participatory. An institutional model that indicates a greater involvement of civil society and populations in the regional integration, in scope to mitigate high existing democratic deficit, it is feasible from the part of election the representatives of PARLASUL with strong associative links, with the social capital legitimated and recognized socially.

A integração regional denominada Mercado Comum do Sul – MERCOSUL – gera um processo de transbordamento para diversos setores sociais dos países membros, induzido pela necessidade de minoração do déficit democrático, entendido como falta de representação e acesso às decisões do MERCOSUL e combinado com a falta de controle, de transparência e de responsabilização dos atores decisórios. A União Europeia, assim como o Parlamento Europeu, possui mecanismos que visam a minorar o déficit democrático existente na integração regional e podem servir de modelo para o MERCOSUL. A comparação entre a UE e o MERCOSUL, e entre o PARLASUL e o PE se utiliza de mecanismos de aproximação de teorias e de metodologias que possibilitam a análise comparada em nível histórico, institucional, jurídico e político. Ao longo da tese, foram analisadas as atribuições, o controle e a fiscalização, a legitimidade, a participação e a representação no PARLASUL e no PE. As principais fontes dos dados utilizados nesta tese são documentos, tratados e protocolos internacionais, regimentos, legislação e entrevistas realizadas com autoridades relacionadas com o MERCOSUL, especialmente parlamentares do PARLASUL. A utilização do capital social na integração regional pode minorar o déficit democrático e colaborar na criação e na consolidação de redes que qualificam e facilitam a participação e a ação política mais transparente e democrática. A utilização dos pressupostos da democracia pode diminuir a percepção negativa das populações dos países membros do MERCOSUL, em relação às instituições e aos partidos políticos. As proposições da presente tese refletem uma necessidade de adaptação da integração regional aos valores democráticos, representados pela democracia (mais) participativa. Um modelo institucional que indica uma maior participação da sociedade civil e das populações na integração regional, no escopo de minorar o alto déficit democrático existente, é viável a partir da eleição de parte dos representantes do PARLASUL com fortes vínculos associativos, com capital social legitimado e reconhecido socialmente. / The Regional integration known as the Southern Common Market - MERCOSUL, generates the spill over effect for various social sectors of the member countries induces the need for mitigation of the democratic deficit, understood as a lack of representation and access in the decisions of MERCOSUL, combined with the lack of control, transparency and accountability decision-making actors. The European Union, and the European Parliament have mechanisms to reduce the existing democratic deficit in regional integration, and can serve as a model for MERCOSUL. The comparison between the UE and MERCOSUL, and between PARLASUL and the European Parliament uses approaching mechanisms, theories and methodologies that enable comparative analysis in historical, institutional, legal and political level. Assignments were analyzed, control and oversight, legitimacy, participation and representation in PARLASUL and the European Parliament. The main sources of the data used in the thesis are documents, international treaties and protocols, regulations, legislation and interviews with related authorities with MERCOSUL, especially PARLASUL’s parliamentarians. The use of social capital in regional integration can reduce the democratic deficit and contribute to the creation and consolidation of networks that qualify and facilitate participation and more transparent and democratic political action. The use of democracy assumptions may decrease the negative perception of people in MERCOSUL member countries, the institutions, and political parties. Propositions of this thesis reflect a need for adaptation of regional integration to democratic values represented by democracy (more) participatory. An institutional model that indicates a greater involvement of civil society and populations in the regional integration, in scope to mitigate high existing democratic deficit, it is feasible from the part of election the representatives of PARLASUL with strong associative links, with the social capital legitimated and recognized socially.

O presente estudo propõe-se a investigar o potencial de o projeto de democracia cosmopolita, tal como formulado por David Held, Anthony McGrew e Daniele Archibugi, suprir o déficit democrático das instituições representativas brasileiras decorrente dos fenômenos da globalização e do policentrismo do poder, no contexto da atual crise econômica mundial. Trata-se, pois, de se contrapor o modelo cosmopolita, de caráter transterritorial, ao modelo representativo, de base territorial. A pesquisa segue um plano analítico político-jurídico, ou seja, sua sede epistemológica é a Teoria Geral do Estado. / This study wants to investigate the potential of the project of cosmopolitan democracy, how it was formulated by David Held, Anthony McGrew and Daniele Archibugi, to supply de democratic deficit of the Brazilians institutional organizations, occurred because the phenomenon of globalization and polycentrism of power, in the context of now global economic crisis. Therefore, we will compare the cosmopolitan model, of transterritorial character, and the representative model, based on the territory. This research follows a politic-juridical plan, so, its epistemological place is the General Theory of State.

This study aims at describing if discrepancies can be found between the rhetoric in Swedish political parties’ electoral campaigns to the European Parliament elections in 2004 and their representatives’ actual behavior in the European Parliament and to develop plausible explanations to these possible discrepancies. The research method that is being used is content analysis, aiming to answer four research questions regarding the electoral campaigns to the European Parliament elections in 2004 and the behavior by the parties’ representatives during the following term of office. The main findings are that some discrepancies can be found regarding which questions are raised most frequently in the electoral campaigns and in the European Parliament, but that no discrepancies can be found regarding the positions taken in questions in the electoral campaigns and in the European Parliament. The plausible explanations that are presented are that the parties raise certain questions in the campaigns with the purpose of maximizing the number of votes and then raise other questions in the European Parliament, that size of the party group matters and that the individuals representing the parties might effect the coherence between rhetoric and actual behavior.

European security and defence policy has developed at a significant rate since the late 1990s. As a growing field of analysis, there have been few studies to date that have explored the foreign and domestic implications of the European Union's emerging security and defence policies. This thesis seeks to assess the quality and effectiveness of the present day defence policies of the European Union through an examination of its commitment to civilian and military missions abroad. In so doing, this thesis suggests that these missions stem from a misguided belief that the promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law beyond its border is the most effective means by which to achieve security within Europe. This thesis concludes that the economic and political tools available to the European Union provide a better means by which to ensure security in Europe and around the world.

This diploma thesis deals with the impact of the recent immigration crisis in Europe on Europeanization of national public spheres and its implications for the democratic deficit of the European Union (EU). The main aim of this work was to determine, whether there is a tendency towards Europeanization of public spheres in two selected EU member states (Austria and Germany), and if it is the case, closely examine the forms and specific characteristics of this process. Besides the Europeanization of public sphere, a Europeanization of collective national identity was studied, as it is considered to be an essential part of Europeanized national public spheres. In order to provide answers for these questions, a qualitative content analysis was used for this research, analyzing opinion articles from two selected quality newspapers from each studied country. Newspapers with different political affiliation were chosen in order to get the most representative sample for the analysis. This research covered the debate on migration crisis within period of one year (May 2015 to April 2016). A general trend of Europeanization was recorded in both national public spheres within this debate.

This dissertation deals with institutional aspects of the democratic deficit of the European Union, particularly the powers of national parliaments and their capabilities to influence decision-making at the European level. The national parliaments' role in European integration became an interesting research area thanks to their greater involvement in the EU affairs in the last twenty years. However, because of the many developments of the European integration in the last twenty years (including both deepening and broadening of integration), many questions remain open. These include involvement of national parliaments both on European level and on national level; for obvious reasons, the latter has been studied less regarding the parliaments of the Member States that joined the Union in 2004 and 2007. While this dissertation deals with some aspects of the work of national parliaments of all Member States, more detailed studies are devoted to the cases of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. This dissertation poses questions in the three main areas of research that are all devoted to some practical aspects of national parliaments' involvement in European affairs. First, it examines the involvement of national parliaments at the European level and whether national parliaments do have the...

One part of the criticism regarding a democratic deficit in the EU is towards a considered tecnocratic bureacracy - especially in the Committé of the Permanent Representatives (COREPER). However, if the argumentation stands on research that compare the EU with theoretical constructs, how valid can that criticsm be? By relating the formal discretion of the bureacrats in Coreper to the formal discretion of the bureacrats in Swedish ministries this study contributes to the discussion on an empirical level. The research design is thus a qualitative comparison of procedure-manuals from both units. The method is text analyzing: through the lens of the policy cycle (first and second phase) and through the defined concepts `discretion ́ and `control ́. These concepts stem from theoretical contributions by Herman Finer regarding discretion and democratic legitimacy. The main findings show that the permanent representatives hold more opportunities of discretion than the Swedish bureacrats. However, these are well specified and more so compared to the Swedish case. According to the theoretical framework the specification is of most relevance - why democratic legitimacy can be derived. I therefore argue that this specific criticism towards the EU might not be as valid if Sweden is still to be considered an accepted democratic system.