Democracy and the European Union comprehensively reviews one of the most salient, on going debates at the heart of the European Union (EU) today, democratic reform. Democracy and the European Union a thorough evaluation of how democracy might best be defined in the transnational context of the EU and explores the key strategies that have been deployed to enhance the Union's democracy from the Single European Act to the present day. In considering why the strategies have been unsuccessful, Alex Warleigh contends that the EU can only democratize itself by abandoning federalism, and working towards a more participatory democracy based on flexibility and active European citizenship. Democracy and the European Union therefore advances important new ways in which the EU's 'democratic deficit' problems might be addressed more effectively than in the past. Marking a significant contribution to this key on-going debate, Democracy in the European Union: Theory, Practice and Reform will be essential reading for all students, scholars and professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the nature of the EU and the reform challenges it faces into the twenty-first century.