In this issue, the Dialogue and Debate section adresses the question of the democratic legitimacy of the European Union. This topic has been and is contested in many contexts. The debate is driven not only by political actors, including policy interested organisations and associations, but also by individual scolars, academic institutions, by national and transnational groups, by media, an by the public.

The theme in question is demanding: Firstly, it is decisive which democratic model you adopt as the basis, i.e. which attributes you connect to your conception of democracy. Secondly, the notion of ‘legitimacy’ has to be examined, - a task that is by no means easy. Several components of the term might be included, e.g. legal aspects (legality), normative justifications (input and output legitimacy), and legitimity via support expressed from citizens and/or authorities in relevant constituencies/states.

It is pleasure to CINEFOGO to present to the readers of the Newsletter, two contributions on this topic:

An essay by Vladimír Špidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (Brussels), on ‘Democratic legitimacy of the European Union’, and an article by Karel B. Müller, assistant professor at the University of Economics in Prague, titled ‘Featuring a European Civil Society. - European Demos and Democratic Deficit in the EU’.

We urge the readers to participate in the debate, e.g. by responding on these contributions.