[sambe]

Exactly. Was there actually anything different at all about TTIP negotiations (vs other EU negotiations) until the leaks?

I was under the impression that most or all similar documents were only made available at a mature stage (eg after first official draft is ready, passed legal, translated etc).

[damptowel]

The issue as I perceive it (because this may have to do with perception of "elites" and the forms of democracy one ascribes to), is that a global deal of this magnitude should be made public and subject to popular democratic influence, simply because it influences so many people. And apparently they were really trying to keep it all hush hush to avoid exactly those kinds of protest. When the news found a way out, the opposition groups pretty much did the publicity campaign for them, of course in a negative way. But would that publicity campaign have started if it had not not leaked? I'm inclined to think that it wouldn't have, because I think economic self-interest and geopolitics are just much more valued than "public rights" by the parties involved, and in that way it's "undemocratic".

[sambe]

Where they really trying to keep it hush hush though? My question is whether this actually differed from general policy and procedures. Maybe there is an argument that more far-reaching agreements should be subject to greater scrutiny, but there is (probably) no precedent for that. At the end of the day, you give a mandate to your representative and they are supposed to deal with it.

Scandal and conspiracy helps sell newspapers.