Europe As the Would-be World Power : The EU at Fifty

For fifty years European integration has been pursued according to an operational code based on rules which have never been publicly discussed. This book demonstrates the far-reaching consequences of the prioritisation of integration over competing values, fait accompli and other implicit rules of action. The willingness to sacrifice democracy on the altar of integration is demonstrated by the monopoly of legislative initiative granted to the non-elected Commission. Monetary union preceding, rather than following, political integration is a striking example of fait accompli, and the reason behind many holes in the EU system of economic governance. Until now, academics have avoided radical criticism; Giandomenico Majone argues that only an open acknowledgement of the obsolescence of the traditional methods can stem the rising tide of Euro-scepticism-- Provided by Publisher Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Introduction......Page 9 European Integration and its Discontents......Page 12 The Irish Referendum and its Aftermath......Page 14 The Referendum Roulette......Page 16 Legitimacy and Efficiency......Page 18 Back to First Principles......Page 20 Between Soft Power and World Power......Page 21 E Pluribus Unum?......Page 24 The Failed Europeanization of the Masses......Page 30 Making Europe without Europeans......Page 33 Integration versus Democracy......Page 38 From Permissive Consensus to the Revolt of the Masses......Page 43 The Desertion of the Elites......Page 47 Legitimacy, Efficiency, and Systemic Stability......Page 50 'Federate or Perish'......Page 54 The Vision of the Founding Fathers......Page 57 The Window of Opportunity Closes......Page 59 Manifest Destiny?......Page 61 Neo-Federalism......Page 68 Federalist Teleology......Page 70 A 'Federalist Deficit'?......Page 75 Federalist Revisionism......Page 80 The Monnet Method......Page 82 Goal Displacement......Page 84 Perils of Eurocentricity......Page 87 Cryptofederalist Myths (1): ‘Economic Prosperity’......Page 89 Cryptofederalist Myths (2): ‘Stability, Peace, and a Stronger Voice in the World’......Page 95 A Neo-Liberal EU?......Page 98 Purposive Action and Unintended Consequences......Page 108 The Invisible Hand of Neofunctionalism......Page 111 Unintended Consequences of Monetary Union......Page 115 Synergistic Effects: Enlargement, EMU, and the Single Market Programme......Page 120 The Theory and Practice of Mutual Recognition......Page 125 Mutual Recognition after Enlargement......Page 128 Cryptofederalist Hubris......Page 132 Misleading Analogies and Conceptual Ambiguities......Page 136 Social Dumping, Race to the Bottom, and Social Harmonization......Page 142 Negative and Positive Integration......Page 146 Legitimacy through Welfare?......Page 151 A Social Europe of Bits and Pieces?......Page 154 The Question of Standards......Page 159 The Analogical Fallacy......Page 163 The Big Trade-Off: Democracy and Integration......Page 166 Legitimation through Distinctive Institutional Competence......Page 173 Europa: Geht’s nicht eine Nummer kleiner?......Page 178 Democracy in the EU: A Merit Good?......Page 181 The Accountability Deficit......Page 183 Delegation of Powers......Page 187 The Rise and Decline of Harmonization......Page 191 Institutional Balance......Page 194 The Community Method: Still Viable?......Page 196 Intergovernmentalism......Page 201 The Limits of 'Soft Power'......Page 205 Beyond Straight-Line Evolution......Page 213 In Search of Flexibility......Page 215 The Selective Exit Option......Page 219 Differentiated Integration......Page 223 A Theory of Differentiated Integration......Page 225 Competition with Cooperation......Page 230 The Tenacity of a Flawed Paradigm......Page 232 A Post-Modern Empire?......Page 239 References......Page 243 Index......Page 255 Despite official optimism the EU system has failed to deliver a satisfactory growth performance, and discontent is beginning to grow. Giandomenico Majone explores the reasons behind this failure, arguing that only an open acknowledgement of the obsolescence of the traditional methods can stem the rising tide of Euro-scepticism. Giandomenico Majone explores the reasons behind the failure of the EU system to deliver satisfactory growth performance