ABSTRACT
In this chapter I want to discuss the possibility of developing alternative forms of participatory governance and democracy in the European Union. At the heart of this discussion will be the belief that democracy is an immediately constitutional issue. In sections two and three of the chapter, I will examine the nature and extent of the presently perceived constitutional crisis in the Union. In the following two sections, I will then introduce certain alternative theories of democracy which, it will be suggested, might be appropriate for any projected constitutional renewal. In the final two sections, I will conclude by suggesting how far such theories might enjoy specific application in the areas of European social and industrial relations law.
