Zielonka, J. (2014) “Mending A Dysfunctional European Union“, Social Europe Journal, 11 Ιουνίου.
The EU is not an end in itself. Europe needs a vision of functional integration orchestrated and managed not just by states, but also major regions, cities, NGOs and firms.
Elections create winners and losers; the former suffer from hangover due to the excess of champagne; the latter suffer from hangover caused by depression. These last European elections have been a source of hangover for one additional reason: parties determined to curb EU powers came clearly on top in numerous countries. Yet, supporters of the current status-quo were quick to stress that they maintained a comfortable majority within the European Parliament. They sounded like people who had too much champagne. The political map of Europe has changed dramatically thanks to the triumph of the Eurosceptics. National leaders who are running the European project have been given bloody noses by the voters and the newly elected European Parliament has been declared illegitimate by a large segment of the electorate (including those who abstained). Italy seems to defy the common trend, maybe because they found a new young face to lead a firmly pro-European government.
Σχετικές αναρτήσεις:
- Blair, T. (2014) “A Manifesto for European Change“, Project Syndicate, 03 Ιουνίου.
- Weeks, J. (2014) “Alter The European Union: A Conference In Helsinki For Progressive Change“, Social Europe Journal, 04 Απριλίου.
- Underhill, G. & Blom, J. (2013) “The case for policy change: Democratic legitimacy of EMU cannot be an afterthought in solving the crisis“, VoxEU Organisation, 19 Μαρτίου.