Europe in the new millennium

1. Europe in the new millennium

2. Problems: • European governance -- what kinds of institutions for an EU of 25-27 member-states? • Distribution of burdens and benefits? • Who gets what, when, and how? • Who pays – and how much?

3. The European Constitutional Convention • Made up of delegations from old and incoming member-states • Attempt to find solutions to multiple problems

4. Governance • Should the EU be a • Centralized federation? • Decentralized trade association? • What kind of executive should the European union have? • How much power should it enjoy? • What role should member-state governments, parliaments, and European peoples play in governing Europe?

5. Executive power • Should it be lodged in • A commission responsible to the European Parliament? • A rotating presidency? • A president selected by the member-states? • A directly elected President?

6. Controlling the EU • Opt for new system of weighted voting – decisions to be made by dual majorities • Member-states with weighted votes in the Council of Ministers • And majority of the population of Europe • Continued role for European Parliament • Role for yearly Congress of delegations from national parliaments

7. Distributing benefits and burdens • Reluctance of older member-states to give up benefits enjoyed under Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or regional aid (structural funds) • Consequence: • Newer member-states to enter on less than equal terms

8. Broader problem: • European Union as constituted makes major decisions – • Lays out rules for economic activity • Guarantees basic rights • Yet • Decision-making more opaque than transparent • European publics have little affection or affinity for the EU • Deep skepticism about transferring further powers

9. Future directions • Need to move beyond intergovernmental disputes • Need to form bases of identification and loyalty so that EU is more than a target of anger • Present situation: • EU is there, tries to act • Has flag, anthem but scant loyalty and affection • Scope of national government activity makes it difficult to emerge

10. National governments • Britain: • Under Blair and New Labour, increasingly governed from the centre rather than left or right • Conservatives, with new leader, Michael Howard, moving back to the centre in order to compete

11. France • Government from the centre-right under President Chirac, Premier Rafferin • Left in disarray following defeat in 2002 Presidential and parliamentary elections • Questions about viability of its welfare state

12. Germany • Social Democratic-Green government under Schroeder • Trying to cope with problems of • Reunification • Welfare state more generous than can population can sustain • Politics increasingly less organized, more conflictual

13. Italy • Collapse of First Republic in 1993, amid revelations of corruption • End of Christian Democratic (and Socialist dominance • Reorganization of party system • disappearance of most pre-1993 parties • Polarization into left and right clusters • Government from the right under media magnate Silvio Berlusconi

14. Broader change: • Transformation of European politics • Still about nations and nationalism, but via discussion and argument, pursuit of business interests • National governments are still major players • But in an era of skepticism, increasingly sensitive to how their actions will play out among their citizens