ABSTRACT
European legal systems claim to be democratic ones, and modern executives are their true governing force. However, the democratic character of European executives should not be overstated when one looks at how consequential the people can be in controlling their composition and decisions. The citizens mainly participate in an indirect fashion in the choice of the members of the Executive, which rests largely with their representatives. In the same vein, they can influence public decision-making processes only in limited occasions. Furthermore, it should be noted the risks of capture of these opportunities by well-organised and well-funded individuals or groups as well as the partisan bias that can always occur. In this regard, the ability of the people to be the true master of its destiny remains a limited one.
