Prominent voices – such as to former prime minister and ECB governor Mario Draghi – claim that it is now necessary for the Union to “become a state”. Arguably, state-like structures may be required not only for economic and security reasons but also for reasons of justice and legitimacy. Both equality before the law and democratic self-rule require the ability to sanction. The dire situation of non-compliance that the internal rule-of-law crisis testifies to, the rise to power of right-wing populists several places, the Russian attack on Ukraine and now Trump’s economic and political warfare, can be seen as triggers for centralized coercive powers to ensure European interests and the rule of law. In addition, there is the global agenda, with transnational challenges pertaining to refugees, poverty, climate change, Big Tech, and AI, the handling of which depend upon the ability to act in concert across borders. But to what extent and in what sense does the handling of these challenges require state-like structures? Can the challenges be dealt with through the established depoliticized structures, that is, via muddling through governance? Or perhaps we should see things differently; given the powers of the Union, the way it deals with exigencies, sets hard borders, and conducts external affairs, one may ask, has it already become a state?
This event is by invitation only.
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The research project European integration and national law: Compliance in complex institutional orders (COMPLEX) is coordinated by ARENA Centre for European Studies at University of Oslo, and studies the effects of international treaties on national law.
For any questions about this event please contact Janna van Diepen.