The challenge of democratic representation in the European Union

What does political representation in the European Union look like? This volume argues that the transformation of representation in the EU is characterized by diversification processes, albeit with an uncertain ability to re-configure the link between representation and democracy. Content: Political representation in the EU: a second transformation? / Sandra Kröger and Dawid Friedrich -- Political parties at the European level: do they satisfy the condition of programmatic convergence? / Emmanuel Sigalas and Johannes Pollak -- Interparliamentary cooperation and democratic representation in the European Union / Cristina Fasone -- The Committee of the Regions and the upgrading of subnational territorial representation / Simona Piattoni -- Whom do they represent? Mixed modes of representation in EU-based CSOs / Håkan Johansson -- Representing their members? Civil society organizations and the EU's external dimension / Meike Rodekamp -- The plural representative space: how mass media and national parliaments stimulate pluralism through competition / Pieter de Wilde -- A media perspective on political representation: online claims-making and audience formation in 2009 EP election campaigns / Asimina Michailidou and Hans-Jörg Trenz -- Unelected representatives in the Europolitical field: CSOs between Berlin and Brussels / Erik Jentges -- From the margins of European integration to the guardians of the treaties? The role of national parliaments in the EU / Tapio Raunio -- The Europeanization of regional assemblies: a comparison between different ways of approaching the representative challenge in EU affairs / Elena Griglio -- Interest representation in the EU -- is there any? A top-down perspective / Stijn Smismans -- Democracy promoter or interest defender? How the European Commission influences non-electoral representation by civil society organizations / Sandra Kröger -- Representing workers or presenting EU prescriptions? Trade unions from post-socialist member states in EU multi-level governance / Heiko Pleines -- Transformation as differentiation: the diversity of representation in the European Union / Dawid Friedrich and Sandra Kröger.