Abstract
How did the European Union (EU) survive a series of crises, each one of them severe and often unprecedented? Second and relatedly, what makes the EU so susceptible to crises? For answers, we analyse its features as a novel political system, a compound polity that is not merely an imperfect hybrid of an imperfect federal state (Ferrera, Kriesi and Schelkle 2024). We argue that what makes this political form susceptible to crises can often explain its ability to pull through crises, in some cases without really resolving the underlying policy problem, in other cases with an astounding ability to creative policy turnarounds. Our theory in the Rokkanian tradition challenges existing accounts of the EU, which can no longer be seen as an integration scheme, in which nation-states engage in particularly close international relations. It is recognisable as a polity that has boundaries, authority and capacities with which citizens identify to various degrees as ‘Europeans’ and express loyalty to, especially if challenged by other polities. Our crisis research found that the EU has become relatively effective in solving conflicts over sovereignty and solidarity but remains weak in addressing identity politics.
Please be aware that this seminar starts at 1pm (CET).
Download chapter (restricted access)
Please note that this chapter is work in progress and thus has limited distribution, please contact us if you would like access. Do not cite without permission from the author.
The book is co-authored with Kate Alexander-Shaw, Maurizio Ferrera and Hanspeter Kriesi.