The theoretical approaches to understanding the evolving European Union

Abstract

We can only understand in what ways we can expect the EU to develop within the near (Constitutional Treaty) and distant future by analysing the basis of its past experience and the historical milestones it achieved, while also understanding the dominant theoretical models underpinning these past developments. The aim of this dissertation is to build on this examination which should help us to better comprehend the present issues, controversies and difficulties the EU is facing as well as enable us, by looking at the present facts through particular theoretical perspectives, to outline the Union's direction and to postulate some of the possible outcomes of current European integration. The historical facts are very important in explaining the theoretical ideas behind the developments in the EU. To be able to analyze the theoretical models based on the internal situation of the EU it is essential to comprehend each specific chronological highlight of European integration and the historical context in which EU landmarks occurred, such as the end of the Second World War and the subsequent Cold War between the US and the USSR. It is also imperative to understand the changing societies and the changing demands on governments, within Western Europe, throughout the evolution of the European idea. Moreover, the EU's own history is also central to understand its past which shaped its politicians and consequently its citizens. Thus the first part of this dissertation will look into the history of the European Union and its foundational theories so as to be able to understand its development and how it led to the current state of the EU. In the second part of this study we shall look at the latest attempt of furthering European integration, namely the Draft Constitution produced by the Convention on Europe, based on the principles of representative government and the rule of law. However, even though the Constitutional Treaty was drafted with the consensus of all Member States, it was not ratified due to the referenda held by Nether lands and France. In this chapter we will analyse why this non-ratification created a lot of questioning and why the Draft Constitution was not accepted by all countries and what were the main issues that concerned the people who voted against it.