Does the European Union Represent the Future of World Politics

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Does the European Union Represent the Future of
World Politics?
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Integration

• A process by which the interests of people are
  progressively defined in regional, rather than
  national, terms leading ultimately to the
  creation of a new and geographically larger
  political community

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European Union

• Combines features of traditional
  intergovernmental organization and federal state.
• Member-states delegate control over certain areas
  of policy that are traditionally not shared.
• E.g., Single currency (the Euro)

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EU Member-states

• Twenty-seven member-states in total
• Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and
  the Netherlands
• Original six member-states
• Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus,
  Denmark, Finland, England, Estonia, Greece,
  Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
  Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
  Spain, and Sweden.
• Joined between 1970 and 2007

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EU candidate countries

• Croatia
• Republic of Macedonia
• Turkey

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Decision-making in the EU

• Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)
• System of weighted voting
• Large population states (e.g., Germany) have most
  votes
• Coalitions of small population states (e.g.,
  Greece, Netherlands, Belgium) can defeat programs
  favored by big states.
• QMV is unusual
• States usually retain a veto in IGOs

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Qualified Majority Voting

• Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom
  29
• Spain and Poland 27
• Romania 14
• Netherlands 13
• Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary and
  Portugal 12
• Austria, Bulgaria, and Sweden 10
• Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland
  7
• Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Slovenia
  4
• Malta 3TOTAL 321
• A minimum of 255 votes (73.9) will be required
  to reach a qualified majority.
• A majority of member states (in some cases two
  thirds) must approve the decision, and
• any member state can ask for confirmation that
  the votes cast in favor represent at least 62 of
  the EUs total population.

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EU InstitutionsThe Council of the European Union

• Formerly known as The Council of Ministers.
• Made up of cabinet ministers
• Holds final authority over EU decisions
• Sets policy for EU

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EU InstitutionsThe Commission

• Implements EU policy
• Twenty-five commissioners
• One per country
• Supposed to be independent
• Only E.U. institution with the right to propose
  new E.U. legislation

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EU InstitutionsThe European Parliament

• Elected directly
• Europe-wide political parties
• Major powers
• Approve Councils budget
• Oversee European Commission

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EU InstitutionsThe European Court of Justice

• Similar to US Supreme Court
• 25 judges
• Duties
• Interprets EU law for national courts
• Rules on legal questions that arise within EU
  institutions
• Settles disputes between member-states

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EU InstitutionsThe European Council

• Comprised of Heads of member-states
• Intergovernmental conferences
• E.g., Maastricht
• Set strategic goals