以後功能主義解釋首席候選人機制對歐盟民主正當性的意義

The Implications of Spitzenkandidaten on the Democratic Legitimacy of the EU: A Postfunctionalist Approach

詹明隆(Ming-Lung Chan)

指導教授 ： 卓忠宏

共同指導教授 ： 蘇宏達(Hung-Dah Su)

淡江大學/國際研究學院/歐洲研究所碩士班/碩士(2021年)

https://doi.org/10.6846/TKU.2021.00113

摘要

學界對於歐盟民主赤字的研究已持續三十餘載，自歐債危機以來，歐盟治理成效與作為更引起新一波辯論。就歐盟民主正當性的探討而言，從以往政治制度安排擴展到歐洲實際政治運作層面，此一研究議程轉變所對應的思考途徑恰是近年蓬勃發展的後功能主義，其將過往統合理論所忽略歐洲民意、認同傾向以及政黨政治對於歐洲統合發展的影響，加以整合至歐洲議題政治化現象之探究，其正是歐盟長期欠缺的民主元素。歐洲議會與執委會運作位居歐盟民主赤字首要課題，兩機構因應歐盟強化民主屬性的目標，於2014與2019年歐洲議會選舉中採用首席候選人機制，期由民意產生的議員、其所屬政黨推舉的執委會主席候選人、候選人政見辯論與公眾討論等過程，強化歐盟政策的民主代表性與課責性。
本文旨在以歐盟面臨正當性危機為背景，以後功能主義解釋首席候選人機制的發展，分析其運作過程以及對歐盟民主正當性的意義，兼論後功能主義對歐盟強化其民主屬性作為的啟示。除緒論外，第二章闡釋後功能主義理論意涵與分析架構；第三章探討歐盟民主赤字議題與其強化民主正當性的途徑；第四章解析首席候選人機制在程序民主上的改革與局限；第五章分析該機制在「新」改革途徑──政治化的效果與意涵；最後總結之。
本文指出，首席候選人機制兼具強化歐盟程序與實質民主的潛能，但歷經兩次適用經驗，歐盟民主赤字問題未能有所改善。除了機制本身尚未完備，各會員國領袖、政黨行為者使用意願，以及政治文化、語言、民眾態度與認同傾向差異等，皆影響歐盟層面大選議題政治化的效果，尤其突顯歐盟民主正當性面臨著歐洲公領域與歐洲政治難以調和的困境。以後功能主義的觀點而言，首席候選人機制係因歐盟民主正當性的功能壓力而產生，以及該機制帶來的政治化現象隱含對歐洲統合發展的負面效果－政治極化。歐盟仍可能繼續完善首席候選人機制，值得關注其建構歐盟民主正當性的途徑與效果，以及對歐洲統合的影響。

關鍵字

歐洲聯盟 ； 歐洲統合 ； 民主正當性 ； 首席候選人機制 ； 後功能主義 ； 政治化

並列摘要

The study of democratic deficit has been lasting for more than 3 decades. The effectiveness of EU governance has even created another debate since Euro crisis. The research agenda of EU democratic legitimacy has also extended from the perspective of political institution arrangement to actual European political operation. This research agenda is actually corresponding to the flourishing Post-Functionalism in recent years, which has consolidated the neglected variables of the past integration theories into the study of politicization in Europe, such as European public opinion, identities and party politics. It fills the exact blank space in EU democracy. Being in the firing line, European Parliament and European Commission has adopted the Spitzenkandidaten system during 2014 and 2019 EP election in order to strengthen EU democracy, looking forward to strengthening the democratic representation and accountability of EU policies through processes in terms of the public election of EP members, candidates of the EU Commission President who represents their political parties, political debates among the candidates and public discussions.
This thesis aims to explain the development of the Spitzenkandidaten system in the context of the EU’s legitimacy crisis, analyze its operation and its implication on EU’s democratic legitimacy, and discuss the enlightenment of Post-functionalism to EU’s democratic attributes. The full text is divided into five parts: the first chapter is the introduction; the second chapter explains the theoretical meaning and framework analysis of Post-functionalism; the third chapter discusses the issue of the EU democracy deficit and the approaches to strengthen democratic legitimacy; the fourth chapter analyzes the reform and limitations of the Spitzenkandidaten system on procedural democracy; hence the fifth chapter analyzes its effectiveness and implication of the "new" reforming approach—politicization; and the last chapter summarizes this thesis in conclusion.
This thesis points out that the Spitzenkandidaten system has the potential to strengthen both EU procedures and substantive democracy, but the EU democracy deficit has not been resolved after two attempts. In addition to the incomplete system itself, the willingness of the leaders of various member states and party actors, political culture, language, public attitudes, and identity tendencies, etc., all affects the politicization of the EU-level election issues, which especially emphasizes the struggle of EU democratic legitimacy──the difficulty of reconciling European public sphere and European politics. Looking into the perspective of Post-functionalism, the functional pressure from the demand for the EU’s democratic legitimacy has led to the Spitzenkandidaten system, and the politicization came along with this mechanism implies a negative effect on the development of European integration——political polarization. The EU may continue to improve Spitzenkandidaten system. It is worth noting to the approach and effects in constructing EU democratic legitimacy, as well as the impact on European integration.

並列關鍵字

European Union ； European integration ； democratic legitimacy ； Spitzenkandidaten ； Postfunctionalism ； politicization

參考文獻

一、外文文獻

（一）官方資料

Commissin Recommendation of 12 March 2013 on enhancing the democratic and efficient conduct of the elections to the European Parliament, OJ L 79, 21.03.2013.

Commission Communication of 12 March 2013 Preparing for the 2014 European elections further enhancing their democratic and efficient conduct, COM(2013) 126 final, 12.03.2013.

Directorate General Press and Communication, Opinion Polls: Eurobarometer 69.2: National and European Identity, European Elections, European Values, and Climate Change, 2008.