<p>The so called democratic deficit and the lack of legitimacy have been at the core of the EU-debate in the last decades. Low turnouts in the elections for the European parliament and disapproval in the ratification processes of the latest changes of the treaties are examples of the citizens lack of confidence for the EU and continuous integration. In Nice 2000 the heads of the member states governments agreed to try to improve the democratic legitimacy in the EU and initiated a public debate aiming at proposals for changes in the decision making processes in the EU. In July 2001 the commission published a white paper with their view. A fundamental presumption in discourse theory is that language and language usage not just is a way to deliver information about ideas and behaviours. Language shapes our apprehension about identities, social relations and system of knowledge. This essay analyses which meanings of democracy and legitimacy the commission establishes, and excludes, in the white paper. The commission emphasise results and possibility to act in favour of procedures for accountability, reversibility and representation. The decision making processes in the EU has a double democratic mandate according to the commission which makes them reluctant to suggest fundamental changes.</p>

The so called democratic deficit and the lack of legitimacy have been at the core of the EU-debate in the last decades. Low turnouts in the elections for the European parliament and disapproval in the ratification processes of the latest changes of the treaties are examples of the citizens lack of confidence for the EU and continuous integration. In Nice 2000 the heads of the member states governments agreed to try to improve the democratic legitimacy in the EU and initiated a public debate aiming at proposals for changes in the decision making processes in the EU. In July 2001 the commission published a white paper with their view. A fundamental presumption in discourse theory is that language and language usage not just is a way to deliver information about ideas and behaviours. Language shapes our apprehension about identities, social relations and system of knowledge. This essay analyses which meanings of democracy and legitimacy the commission establishes, and excludes, in the white paper. The commission emphasise results and possibility to act in favour of procedures for accountability, reversibility and representation. The decision making processes in the EU has a double democratic mandate according to the commission which makes them reluctant to suggest fundamental changes.

This diploma thesis "Italy and its Approach to European Integration. European Policy of Italy on a case of the Constitutional Treaty" deals with Italian approach to European Communities/European Union and analyzes it on a case of the debate about the future of the EU, which was held since 2000 and led to the approval of the Constitutional Treaty. Italian position was charaterized as euro-enthusiastic during the whole history of European integration. This paper examines the approach and European policy of Italy after 2000 on the basis of the analysis of speeches, interviews, proposals and documents of Italian political representatives during the debate, which was then continued on the European Convention and after that a new reform was approved by the Intergovernmental Conference. In the meantime, Italy went through the elections and a change of government, which did not inspire confidence concerning the europeistic commitment. Coalition parties were considered as eurosceptic and the traditional defence of Communitarian method and deepening of the integration towards the federation were not awaited. The first part of this thesis deals with the historic background and the traditional europeistic approach. The second part is dedicated to the debate about the future of the EU, separated into several...