Catherine Ashton

Catherine Ashton has become the first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU). Although elected by MEPs she is a civil servant who has not suffered election by the people.

To my mind the EU seems distant from UK voters, to the detriment of democracy, and having a civil servant as a High Representative seems to put even greater distance between those in power and the electorate. Maybe Interactive Democracy could be used to allow EU citizens to vote directly on appointments and policies.

These reports, from the BBC and the Telegraph, show a fall in turn out in EU elections from 63.0% in 1979 to 45.7% in 2004.