The Nature of the European Union
Tony Pinchot
POSC339
Final Exam
The European Union: Supranational or Intergovernmental? The European Union is a complex political body that is very difficult to summarize under simply one category. However, I believe the most important categorization to help explain the European Union and how it operates is whether it is viewed as a primarily supranational or intergovernmental organization. The main difference between whether the European Union is viewed as a success or failure hinges primarily on this classification. Derek Beach asks the question: “Are we witnessing a transformation of the EU from a strong supranational institution into a weaker Union dominated by governments?” (Beach, 2012, p. 49). I think the answer to this question is crucial to determining how the success level of the European Union is viewed, and many more focused questions hinge on this answer. Is there a common European identity? Is the euro a success or a failure? Does the Union need a common defense policy? Does the European Union experience a democratic deficit? All of these questions can be analyzed best by determining the nature of the European Union and its governance. Uwe Puetter notes that “It is hard to ignore the constantly growing activism at the top-level of intergovernmental decision making in European Union politics” and goes on to say that “the enquiry as to what next step the EU will take is directed towards the capitals rather than the Brussels-based bureaucracy” (Puetter, 2012, p. 56). It is under this consideration that I propose that the answers to these questions are best explained by viewing the European Union as primarily an intergovernmental body.
European Identity and the Role of the Member State
A fitting place to start the discussion on the success of the European Union is with the concept of a common European identity. John McCormick and Jonathan Olsen remark that, “one of the prerequisites for a successful political system is a strong civil society,
POSC339
Final Exam
The European Union: Supranational or Intergovernmental? The European Union is a complex political body that is very difficult to summarize under simply one category. However, I believe the most important categorization to help explain the European Union and how it operates is whether it is viewed as a primarily supranational or intergovernmental organization. The main difference between whether the European Union is viewed as a success or failure hinges primarily on this classification. Derek Beach asks the question: “Are we witnessing a transformation of the EU from a strong supranational institution into a weaker Union dominated by governments?” (Beach, 2012, p. 49). I think the answer to this question is crucial to determining how the success level of the European Union is viewed, and many more focused questions hinge on this answer. Is there a common European identity? Is the euro a success or a failure? Does the Union need a common defense policy? Does the European Union experience a democratic deficit? All of these questions can be analyzed best by determining the nature of the European Union and its governance. Uwe Puetter notes that “It is hard to ignore the constantly growing activism at the top-level of intergovernmental decision making in European Union politics” and goes on to say that “the enquiry as to what next step the EU will take is directed towards the capitals rather than the Brussels-based bureaucracy” (Puetter, 2012, p. 56). It is under this consideration that I propose that the answers to these questions are best explained by viewing the European Union as primarily an intergovernmental body.
European Identity and the Role of the Member State
A fitting place to start the discussion on the success of the European Union is with the concept of a common European identity. John McCormick and Jonathan Olsen remark that, “one of the prerequisites for a successful political system is a strong civil society,
Cited: European Union. European Defence Agency. Defence Data 2011. Ed. Eric Platteau. 2013 Habermas, Jurgen. The Crisis of the European Union: A Response. Cambridge: Polity, 2013 McCormick, John, and Jonathan Olsen. The European Union: Politics and Policies. Boulder, CO: Westview, 2014 Moravcsik, Andrew. "In Defence of the 'Democratic Deficit ': Reassessing Legitimacy in the European Union." JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies 40.4 (2002): 603-24. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.