歐洲制憲會議對歐盟民主化之影響

The Constitutional Convention and the Democratization of the EU

從制憲會議之設計、組成、決策方式以及整體運作來觀察，歐洲整合的進程在作法上已出現了意義深遠的改變，使得我們必須根據這些改變趨勢，用新的概念和思維來瞭解今天的歐盟。本研究將指出，在民主赤字以及制憲的壓力下，審議式民主（deliberative democracy）以及歐洲公領域（European public sphere）之概念已開始在歐洲整合的進程中萌芽。說民主的形式（type of democracy）而言，歐盟制憲會議代表著概念上從代議式民主（representative democracy）轉向審議式民主的趨勢；就民主政體的範圍（scope of polity）而言，制憲會議的設計、組成、及運作方式代表了全歐公領域（public sphere）的出現。

Judging by the composition, design, decision-making method, and overall operation of the 2002-2003 constitutional Convention, significant changes have taken place in the approach towards European integration. New concepts are therefore needed to understand the new EU. This article argues that, under the pressures of a democratic deficit and constitutionalization, the concepts of deliberative democracy and public sphere are burgeoning during the integration process, as manifested in the constitutional Convention. In terms of democracy type, the Convention embodied a transformation from pure representative to one that stresses the deliberative quality of democracy. In terms of the scope of polity, the Convention manifested the emergence of a European public sphere.