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Summary European Union Politics and Policy
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Hoorcollege 1 – EU politics and policyExplaining continuing integration
Research question: “How can we explain the process of integration between European countries
since WW2?”
Theories form the academic literature.
Answers to this research question on the basis of theories?
Formulate expectations on the basis of theories.
Test expectations with empirical results.
Europe and integration
What is the European union?
A nation?
“A community whose members identify with each other based on shared language, ancestry,
history, culture, territory, religion, myths and symbols.” (McCormick, 2020)
A state?
“A legal and political arrangement through which all large- scale political communities are
organized, combining government population, legitimacy, territory and sovereignty.”
o Westphalian system
A federation?
“A system of administration involving two or more levels of government with autonomous
powers and responsibilities.”
o Monnet- method: The creation of the European Coal and Steel Community as a first
step towards more integration on other areas, with the eventual achievement of a
European federation.
o Altiero Spinelli, criticism: No political centre or leadership to push this ‘method’
along. All structure, no agency.
A confederation?
“A group of sovereign states with a central authority deriving its authority through the states
in which they live.”
, An international organisation?
“A body set up to promote cooperation between or among states, based on the principles of
voluntary cooperation, communal management and shared interests.”
What is it? Blind men and an elephant
The EU as a political system: Multi- level governance.
Government Governance
o EU government = Idea that EU institutions constitute a level of authority above that
of the member states, and that they have powers to make laws and drive the
political agenda.
o EU governance = Arrangement in which laws and policies are made and implemented
as a result of interactions among a complex variety of actors, including member state
governments, EU institutions, interest groups and other sources of influence.
It is about governance, not government.
Refers to a particular kind of relationship that is not hierarchically ordered.
A negotiated order and not defined by formalized legal framework.
A political game.
Multi- level governance
Why integrate?
Why did European countries decide to integrate many of their policies and transfer powers to
European institutions?
, Reasons for start integration
World War 1 and 2 No more war in Europe!
1929: Economic crisis
Result:
o 1947: Marshallplan
o 1950: Schumanplan
o 1952: Treaty of Paris (Coal and Steel)
o Treaty of Rome (start Economic integration)
o Single European Act (completion internal market)
o Treaty of Maastricht (Euro)
o 1999 – 2009: Treaties of Amsterdam- Nice- Lisbon
Result:
o 500 million inhabitants
o 27 member states
o 24 languages
o European institutions: European Commission, European Parliament, Council of
Ministers, European Council, European Court of Justice
o Integration/ cooperation on many policy fields, but a patchwork...
Differentiated integration
Differentiated integration: Move forward with some member states, give opt- outs to other member
states.
Sweden – Denmark – (United Kingdom)
Reasons for differentiated integration
Public opinion: From permissive consensus to constraining dissensus.
More countries joining the EU, more diversity between policy and politics of countries within
the EU, more need for differentiation.
o One- size- fits- all policy solutions do not work anymore.
Is differentiated integration enough to keep the European Union ‘unified in diversity’?
Are there reasons for member states to leave the Union?
Declining trust/ support EU?
Brexit
‘Vote leave’ camp
o Take back control: Borders and migration.
o Full single market access but no free movement of people.
o Referendum day = Independence day = To make UK great again.
Referendum outcome:
o Nigel Farage: “A victory for ‘the real people, for the ordinary people, for the decent
people’.”
o Jean Claude Juncker: “Brexit is not an amicable divorce, but the relationship had not
been a deep love affair anyway.”
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