Abstract

Ali Hedayati

A number of authors in the past two decades emphasised that the problem of “democratic deficit“ in the European Union could be solved by application of the principles of deliberative democracy. However, the notion of “deliberation’’ has not become the part of the EU policy and discourse until 2005. The problem of “democratic deficit’’ is officially recognised by European Commission in 2005, when the Commission supported and funded a number of initiatives for the promotion of active citizenship and deliberative democracy. This paper will analyse European Commission’s Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate. It will explore whether this plan led to deliberation and more inclusive citizenship.