EU-reforms must be bottom up

The European Union has been an elitist project from the very beginning. The French proposal to establish a European Coal and Steel Community, the predecessor to the EU, was a top down initiative. The aim - to make war not only unthinkable but materially unpossible - was of course very praiseworthy. And the supranational basis for the Community was an important innovation. It is also understandable that efficiency was a priority and that cumbersome democratic processes were avoided.

But although the Coal and Steel Community successfully survived difficulties and was followed by an even more ambitious supranational Europan integration project, the democratic shortcomings has never been rectified satisfactorily. An illustration is that the EU today has three presidents, neither of them directly elected by the European people.

EU as an elitist project now seems to have hit the wall. The supranational organisation has ended up in its biggest crisis ever. And the Brussels-bubble seems incapable of identifying and taking the necessary steps forward. The expectations for good reform ideas to be presented at the EUs 60th anniversary in March are low. 

The populus is dissatisfied. "Populist" parties and movements demand changes and challenge the elites in EUs member states. Brexit and Trump show that breakthroughs are possible. The elites perceives this as a dangerous problem. But in reality it is democracy working. And this is also how the EU hopefully can be reformed: from bottom-up by the populus who generate enough pressure to achieve necessary changes.