The future of the EU under the new constitution

1
The future of the EU under the new
constitution

• No choice has been made on federalism versus
  confederalism
• are we federation of United States, or are we a
  confederation of autonomous member states
• Charter of rights (part II) seems to be based on
  federalist principles
• Although may be not, because at the end of part
  II all the rights are buried under tons of
  legal grains of salt

2
The future of the EU under the new
constitution

• No choice has been made on federalism versus
  confederalism
• Social insurance seems to be based on autonomous
  decision-making by member states due to veto
  right
• but part II undermines this by suggesting uniform
  and generally applicable social-welfare
  entitlements for all EU citizens in all member
  states
• Note veto rights are hardly ever used by small
  member states, but are very effective for large
  member states

3
The future of the EU under the new
constitution

• No choice has been made on federalism versus
  confederalism
• Stability pact on restricting member states
  budget deficits was a federalist arrangement
• but in practice it was only binding for small
  countries, not for the big ones (see France
  Germany, in 2003)

4
The future of the EU under the new
constitution

• No choice has been made on federalism versus
  confederalism
• Stability pact on restricting member states
  budget deficits was a federalist arrangement
• but in practice it was only binding for small
  countries, not for the big ones (see France
  Germany, in 2003)
• The Consitution should have given more power to
  the European Commission to give it a real
  federal character
• But it did not do that

5
The future of the EU under the new
constitution

• But for the economic future of the EU preventing
  excessively high deficits, especially by large
  countries, are of utmost importance
• The EU constitution has not been able to
  guarantee this (due to lobbying power of large
  countries)

6
The future of the EU under the new
constitution

• Migration flows from within and without the EU
  will be a threat to the sustainability of West
  European welfare states
• How is the EU constitution addressing this
  problem?
• There is no EU migration policy
• Part II on the uniform citizens rights worsens
  the prospects for the welfare states

7
The future of the EU under the new
constitution

• Is the EU a confederation, i.e. the national
  governments are its members, or
• Is the EU a federation, i.e. the citizens are its
  members?
• Confederation there is no need for a European
  parliament, the Council of Ministers will do
• Federation EU-wide political parties should
  exist, the Council should be abolished and the EP
  is the decision-making authority
• None of this applies, EU is and remains a hybrid
  between the two, making it difficult to see where
  the EU is heading to