Democracy Building in the Regional Context: Insights from the European Parliament and Beyond

International parliamentary institutions (IPIs) are seen as a valid response to the democratic challenges posed by globalization and regional integration. Following the principles underpinning their national counterparts, IPIs can contribute to democratization by promoting the representation of affected publics and facilitating their incorporation into regional or global governance structures. They can also foster the articulation of popular interests in coherent democratic claims and lead to greater levels of transparency and accountability, and therefore contribute to a greater legitimacy of supranational actors.