Advancing electoral democracy in the EU
The project PIREDEU (Providing an infrastructure for research on electoral democracy in the European Union) assessed the feasibility of providing an infrastructure for collecting integrated and linked quality data. Such a tool facilitates research into citizenship, political participation and electoral democracy, and can help address fundamental questions regarding the representative, accountability and legitimacy functions of electoral processes. Project members consulted with the social science research community and collected data from 27 EU countries. The information is useful for studying how democracy functions in the EU and for monitoring European Parliament (EP) and national parliamentary elections. The team tested mechanisms of data collection and conducted a pilot study (testing also the database) in the context of the 2009 EP elections. The study has demonstrated the infrastructure's scientific feasibility, succeeding in bringing together scholars, practitioners and other professionals from across the globe. Technical design aspects supported scientific quality, thus underscoring technical feasibility. Looking to the future, PIREDEU noted the need for a permanent infrastructure for European electoral research. This should be endowed with stable funding and be able to compile, link, disseminate and present data in a coordinated and professional fashion. Established at the final project conference, the Consortium for European Electoral Studies (CERES) has already commenced efforts in this direction. A final report has been produced that offers policymakers guidance related to the preparation of a new research infrastructure. Such a development will further the cause of electoral democracy and political participation – for stakeholders as well as researchers. Overall, the work has both scientific impact and broader societal implications. PIREDEU has helped to shed light on EU democratic practices and even the political thought processes of Euro-sceptics. As such, project work and outcomes promise great benefits for policymakers, politicians, journalists, social scientists and researchers.
Keywords
Electoral democracy, electoral process, citizenship, political participation, social science research
