Abstract
This second lecture advances the thesis that, after the Second World War, a particular conception of democracy emerged in Western Europe - what the speaker describes as " constrained democracy ". This conception was based on a fear of unconstrained popular sovereignty and a broader anti-totalitarian mindset. The European Union - and the Council of Europe - was an integral part of this post-war consensus on democracy. Such a conception of democracy can certainly be criticized. But this construction also offered European institutions legal and normative possibilities - even if they are not directly legitimized by citizens - to protect democracy.
