The Role of the “Subsidiarity” Principle Under EU Law in ‎Realizing Local Democracy with a View to its Applicability ‎in the Iranian Legal System

The principle of subsidiarity or necessity of making the decision at the closest point to the principal is a doctrine that has been evaluated and implemented in some political and legal systems in recent decades. The German constitutional system, and most importantly the EU system have enabled the practical implementation of this principle. The application of this principle, however, is not without challenges. In the EU legal system, a quarter-century of experience in implementing this principle implies a number of difficulties that challenge one of the most successful regional political and judicial systems. By critically evaluating the background and implemention of this principle of EU law in terms of local democracy, this paper seeks to examine the reasons and the implications of its successes and failures from a legal point of view.