About
Reconstituting Democracy in Europe (RECON) is a large-scale European research project which focuses on the conditions for democracy in the multilevel constellation that makes up the European Union. RECON is initiated and coordinated by ARENA. The project includes 21 partners in 13 European countries as well as New Zealand.
Objectives
RECON seeks to clarify whether democracy is possible under conditions of pluralism, diversity and complex multilevel governance. Three different models for reconstituting democracy in Europe are delineated and assessed with the overall aim of developing a theory of democratic deliberative supranationalism. Read more on RECON's research.
Findings
See RECON snapshot of selected findings from all RECON's research fields. Ongoing research from the project is published in the RECON Online Working Paper Series and the RECON Report Series. See also RECON’s Newsletter.
Project summary
Executive summary – first period (2007) (pdf)
Executive summary – second period (2008) (pdf)
Executive summary – third period (2009) (pdf)
Background
RECON runs from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011. The project involves more than 100 researchers from 21 universities and research institutions. They cover a wide range of academic fields, from political science (political theory, international relations, constitutional politics, European politics, gender studies), sociology (including specialist competence in media research), linguistics, anthropology, law and legal theory (constitutional law, human rights law, international and European economic law, transnational law, public law, tax law), to economics, with a particular emphasis on fiscal policy and European public policy.
Funding
RECON is an Integrated Project funded by the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme.
Cooperation
RECON partner institutions:
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic – Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna – Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest – European University Institute, Florence – Freie Universität, Berlin – Jagiellonian University, Krakow – Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt – London School of Economics and Political Science – Peace Research Institute, Frankfurt – Queen’s University, Belfast – Riga Graduate School of Law – Sabanci University, Istanbul – Spanish National Research Council, Madrid – Université libre de Bruxelles – University of Auckland – University of Bremen – University of León – University of Reading – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam – University of Hamburg – University of Mannheim (affiliated partner)