Abstract:

Degressively proportional allocation rules gained practical importance after the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty, according to which the seats in the European Parliament are divided among member states. Degressive proportionality replaced the principle of proportionality usually applied in such cases. Both of these concepts fall within the egalitarian discourses related to fair distribution. Additionally, absolute equality and equality of representation (proportionality) are also extreme cases of degressive proportionality. The purpose of the paper is an analysis of the degressively proportional allocation issues in the context of the apportionment problem. An allocation that is a convex combination of an equal and a proportional allocation is indicated as the equivalent of the sequence of quotas or a sequence of modified quotas required in such a situation. Such an allocation has been shown to be degressively proportional and to satisfy most of the naturally postulated properties of allocation rules.