International studies, Vol. XIV No. 1, 2014.
Review article
The Role of Citizens in Modern Society and the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)
Mladen Nakić
; Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova
Petar Dukić
; Hrvatski studiji
Abstract
The role of citizens in a society can be evaluated from two aspects. Citizens have so far mostly been a passive object that often served as decor for democratic legitimacy of decisions made by political elites. In the future, citizens will have more practice in their original social and political role of strengthening participatory democracy. The primary reason for the civil (dis)engagement lies in their (civic) consciousness. Article 11 of the EU Treaty clearly provides the legal framework for civic engagement in the field, which still belongs to the politicians who consider it their exclusive domain. However, this is just the beginning of participatory democracy and active citizenship.
Keywords
citizens; awareness; the EU; the European citizens’ initiative; the Lisbon Treaty; participatory democracy; decision-making policies
Hrčak ID:
143056
URI
Publication date:
17.6.2014.
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