The European Union and the Return of the Nation State : Interdisciplinary European Studies

This book explores the complex and ever-changing relationship between the European Union and its member states. The recent surge in tension in this relationship has been prompted by the actions of some member state governments as they question fundamental EU values and principles and refuse to implement common decisions seemingly on the basis of narrowly defined national interests. Furthermore, Brexit forces the EU for the first time to face the prospect of a major member state preparing to leave the Union. Are these developments heralding the return of the nation-state, and if so, in what form? Is the national revival a lasting phenomenon that will affect the EU for a long time to come, or is it a transitory trend? This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to answer these questions. It brings together scholars from economics, law, and political science to provide insights into the multifaceted relations between the Union and its member states from different perspectives. All chapters are based on up-to-date research findings, succinct assessments of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates about the direction of European integration. The book concludes by offering policy recommendations at European and national levels. Antonina Bakardjieva Engelbrekt is Professor of European Law at Stockholm University, Sweden, and Chair of the Swedish Network for European Legal Studies. She was Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Professor of Legal Science (2015-2018). Karin Leijon is a researcher at the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden. She is Coordinator for the Swedish Network for European Studies in Political Science (SNES). Anna Michalski is Associate Professor in Political Science at the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden, Associate Senior Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, and Visiting Scholar at Hong Kong University. She is Chair for the Swedish Network for European Studies in Political Science (SNES). Lars Oxelheim is Professor of International Business and Finance at the University of Agder, Norway, and Professor Emeritus at Lund University, Sweden. He is affiliated with the Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Stockholm, Sweden, and Honorary Professor at Fudan University, Shanghai, China Contents......Page 5 Notes on Contributors......Page 7 List of Figures......Page 10 List of Tables......Page 12 Introduction......Page 13 Origins and Significance of the Nation-State......Page 15 The Nation-State and European Integration......Page 16 Alternative Perspectives on Power and Sovereignty Within the EU......Page 19 Integration Through Law......Page 22 The Return of the Nation-State?......Page 24 Signs of the Return of the Nation-State......Page 25 References......Page 36 Introduction......Page 39 Three Positions on the European Future......Page 41 The Material and the Empirical Analysis......Page 43 Economy......Page 44 Defence......Page 50 Migration......Page 52 Social Pillar......Page 54 Summation of the Debate on These Policy Areas......Page 56 The Positions and Democracy......Page 57 Democracy, Efficiency and Power Within Incrementalism......Page 59 Conclusion......Page 62 References......Page 63 Introduction......Page 70 The Tension Between Supranationalism and Intergovernmentalism......Page 72 Article 7 TEU: A Hybrid of Supranationalism and Intergovernmentalism......Page 73 The Union and the Rule of Law......Page 75 A New EU Framework for Strengthening the Rule of Law......Page 78 Is the EU Doing Enough?......Page 81 2015—The Year the Reform of the Courts Began in Poland......Page 82 Advantages and Disadvantages of Supranational Legal Dialogue for Safeguarding the Rule of Law Under the EU Treaties......Page 86 Once Again, the Commission Turns to the CJEU......Page 88 The Commission Should Choose Its Battles and Cooperate Better with Its Allies......Page 89 References......Page 91 Chapter 4: The Refugee Crisis and the Reinvigoration of the Nation-State: Does the European Union Have a Common Asylum Policy?......Page 94 Introduction......Page 95 A Common EU Asylum Policy in Theory and Practice......Page 96 Public Opinion and Euroscepticism......Page 98 EU Asylum Law......Page 101 The Tensions Related to Multilevel Governance......Page 105 Worlds Apart: Variation in Refugee Flows in the EU......Page 107 The Tension Between the National and the Federal Level......Page 114 Striking a Balance Between Asylum Policy at the National and EU Levels......Page 117 References......Page 118 Introduction......Page 122 A United Europe—But How? Supranationalism Versus Intergovernmentalism......Page 124 Is the Union Too Big or Too Small?......Page 126 The Nation-State Leaves the Union—Brexit......Page 129 Winners and Losers on the Single Market......Page 133 Attitudes Towards the Union in Different Member States......Page 137 Conclusions: How Should Brexit Be Handled in Order to Ensure the EU’s Survival?......Page 145 References......Page 148 Introduction......Page 150 What Happened Before the LuxLeaks Scandal?......Page 151 Tax Base Erosion, a Polarizing Phenomenon......Page 154 Tax Fairness, Ethics and Sustainability Paving the Way for a Reform of Tax Systems?......Page 157 How Is Income Allocated Within MNEs?......Page 159 The Cases in a Nutshell......Page 160 Protection Against Tax Base Erosion: From Weak to Strong EU Governance......Page 165 Who Benefits from the Development of EU Tax Law?......Page 167 Is Digital Taxation an Option for the EU?......Page 170 Premises for Tax Fairness......Page 172 References......Page 173 Introduction......Page 176 Why a Common Currency?......Page 178 The European Currency Union......Page 180 Reforming the Euro Area......Page 187 Would Europe Benefit from a Partial Breakup of the Euro Area?......Page 192 Time to Prepare for a Friendly Divorce......Page 196 References......Page 197 Introduction......Page 201 The Rule of Law Within the Scope of EU Law......Page 205 Sanctions and Encumbering Decisions in Cross-Border Situations......Page 209 Sanctions and Encumbering Decisions Within a Member State......Page 213 A Variable Rule of Law?......Page 218 The Problems and the Way Forward: Wait and See, or Confront the Problem Head-On?......Page 220 References......Page 224 Introduction......Page 228 Europeanisation Through a Top-Down Perspective......Page 230 Europeanisation Through a Bottom-Up Perspective......Page 235 Pace-Setting, Fence-Sitting, or Foot-Dragging......Page 237 Is the Solution a More Differentiated Integration Process?......Page 240 To Fix and Mend the European Integration Process?......Page 243 References......Page 247 Introduction......Page 249 Regional Secessionism and European Integration: An Overview......Page 251 Two Perspectives on Regional Secessionism and European Integration......Page 255 Can Regions of the EU Become Independent States and Still Be Members of the EU?......Page 259 Scotland and Catalonia: Postmodern and Pro-European Nationalism?......Page 263 Regional Secessionism and European Integration: Democratic and Normative Challenges in a Multi-Level Setting......Page 269 References......Page 272 Index......Page 276 This book explores the complex and ever-changing relationship between the European Union and its member states. The recent surge in tension in this relationship has been prompted by the actions of some member state governments as they question fundamental EU values and principles and refuse to implement common decisions seemingly on the basis of narrowly defined national interests. Furthermore, Brexit forces the EU for the first time to face the prospect of a major member state preparing to leave the Union. Are these developments heralding the return of the nation-state, and if so, in what form? Is the national revival a lasting phenomenon that will affect the EU for a long time to come, or is it a transitory trend? This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to answer these questions. It brings together scholars from economics, law, and political science to provide insights into the multifaceted relations between the Union and its member states from different perspectives. All chapters are based on up-to-date research findings, succinct assessments of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates about the direction of European integration. The book concludes by offering policy recommendations at European and national levels. Antonina Bakardjieva Engelbrekt is Professor of European Law at Stockholm University, Sweden, and Chair of the Swedish Network for European Legal Studies. She was Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Professor of Legal Science (2015-2018). Karin Leijon is a researcher at the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden. She is Coordinator for the Swedish Network for European Studies in Political Science (SNES). Anna Michalski is Associate Professor in Political Science at the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden, Associate Senior Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, and Visiting Scholar at Hong Kong University. She is Chair for the Swedish Network for European Studies in Political Science (SNES). Lars Oxelheim is Professor of International Business and Finance at the University of Agder, Norway, and Professor Emeritus at Lund University, Sweden. He is affiliated with the Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Stockholm, Sweden, and Honorary Professor at Fudan University, Shanghai, China