Citizens of the European Union – voters of the European Parliament – a supranational parliament Cover Image

Obywatele Unii Europejskiej – wyborcy Parlamentu Europejskiego – parlamentu ponadnarodowego
Citizens of the European Union – voters of the European Parliament – a supranational parliament

Author(s): Stefan Marek Grochalski
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Philosophy of Law, Sociology of Law
Published by: Uniwersytet Opolski
Keywords: The European Parliament; Citizen Of The European Union; competences; direct universal suffrage; democracy

Summary/Abstract: Parliament – an institution of a democratic state – a member of the Union – is not only an authority but also, as in the case of the European Union, the only directly and universally elected representative body of the European Union. The article presents questions related to the essence of parliament and that of a supranational parliament which are vital while dealing with the subject matter. It proves that the growth of the European Parliament’s powers was the direct reason for departing from the system of delegating representatives to the Parliament for the benefit of direct elections. It presents direct and universal elections to the European Parliament in the context of presenting legal regulations applicable in this respect. It describes a new legal category – citizenship of the European Union – primarily in terms of active and passive suffrage to the European Parliament, as a political entitlement of a citizen of the European Union.

  • Issue Year: XIV/2016
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 147-162
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish