Eurocracy is an educational board game simulating the European Parliament, part of the government of the European Union. It may also be an introductory political simulation, though its mechanics differ from the actual European Parliament for simplicity.

Play

The board has all member states of the EU, and each player plays the leader of a real political party movement that exists across Europe. Each party is supported by two social groups (Conservatives by vested capital interests and the army, Greens by Red Greens and by political ecologists). Shifts in power between these social groups make winning more or less likely.

Players move around the board by throwing dice and landing on major cities in an "election campaign". If no political party/movement "has" the city landed on the player wins it and gets 3 members of the EP. A player landing on an occupied city may challenge the incumbent to new elections. Majority control of all cities in a whole state grants ministers in numbers depending on the size of the state (Poland 3, Latvia 1).

With 150 members a player "forms a European government" and wins the game. Parties can ally by negotiating to jointly form a government, trade ministries, and so on. It takes about an hour to play.

Educational use

The game seems intended largely to publicize the concept of Europe in countries where European government is new or less visible. In a tour of 40 secondary schools in Denmark, Norway, Poland, students who played it reportedly said "if this is Europe, we love it." - from a Radio Netherlands report on the game.

In its classroom application, students that win get to make speeches and debate as if they had actually won a party leadership and election. They move quickly from the board game to the actual mechanics of simulated elections in the classroom, so they can see the continuity between the abstractions of an electoral system and factions in a parliament, and the actual jobs politicians do.