Global Geopolitical Change Regionalizing Europe

Supranational Economic Organizations

European Themes  Changing Map – Nation-state giving up sovereignty to regional organizations  Who belongs to the various groups?  How do they feel about it?—Changing Identities of Nation and Region – What does it mean to be European?

Changing Boundaries In Europe

European Membership Characteristics (Formal) 1.Stable Democracy (human rights etc) 2.“European” location 3.Market economy 4.Accept EU treaties

Informal European Characteristics  High income  Stable democracy  High education levels  Human rights protection – e.g. no death penalty  Christian  Material possessions (TV, cars, etc)  Interest in politics (high turnout)  “Green” attitudes  High taxes: social community

Score on “European- ness” (max. 12)

Treaties pulling Europe together-NATO

NATO Members maps/NatoFlash_en.Cache.html  Belgium (1949)  Canada  Denmark  France  Iceland  Italy  Luxembourg  United Kingdom  United States  Netherlands  Norway  Portugal  Greece (1952)  Turkey  Germany (1955)  Spain (1982)  Poland (1999)  Hungary  Czech Republic  2004: – Bulgaria, – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania – Romania, – Slovakia – Slovenia

Applicants to NATO  Albania  Croatia  Macedonia

Treaties pulling Europe together: many layers over time  Coal and Steel Community 1952  EEC (European Economic Community) 1957 (Common market) – Expanded between  Single European Act 1987 – Removed remaining barriers to trade

Treaties pulling Europe together: coalescing union  Treaty on European Union 1992 – “The Maastricht Agreement” – Common security – Common foreign policy – Blueprint for monetary union (Euro)  New Members 1995: – Sweden, Austria and Finland – Rejected entry – Norway and Switzerland  New Members 2004: – Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, – Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania  Applicants: – Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey

Treaties pulling Europe together: coalescing union  “Schengen” treaty 1999: Rules on freedom of movement  “Fortress Europe” – Yes Iceland, Norway, – NOT Ireland, UK – “The Belgian Curtain”

The Belgian Curtain: pre 2004

Euroland  “Euro” replaces currencies of individual countries –  Efficiency and competitiveness  NOT: UK, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland  NOT yet?: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

European Union/Euroland

What EU says about itself  “The European Union (EU) is a family of democratic European countries, committed to working together for peace and prosperity…..  It is not a State intended to replace existing states, but it is more than any other international organisation.”  “The rule of law is fundamental to the European Union. “

five EU institutions  European Parliament (elected by the peoples of the Member States);  Council of the European Union (representing the governments of the Member States);  European Commission (driving force and executive body);  Court of Justice (ensuring compliance with the law);  Court of Auditors (controlling sound and lawful management of the EU budget).

Europe: the big picture  EU: 27 states  Skeptics: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland  Maybe ? – Croatia, Switzerland  On very long finger – Turkey, Albania  Euroland: 12 states  Skeptics 3 states (UK, Sweden, Norway)

Next step: EU Constitution

Irl75%Be.62%Ger.41% Lux.75%Gr.61%Fin.40% Ned.73%It.60%Swe34% Spa71%Den.53%Aus.33% Port64%Fra.49%UK25% Source: Eurobarometer 2000 Is your country’s membership in the EU a good thing ?

Bel85%Ger76%Irl56% It.85%Spa76%Dk.53% Ned85%Gre76%UK49% Fr85%Por66%Fin46% Lux79%Aus61%Swe45% Source: Eurobarometer 2000 Support for a common defense and security policy.

Overall support for EU membership: Good thing 49% Bad thing14% Not good nor bad28% Don’t know9% Overall support for a common foreign policy Yes64% No17% Don’t know19% European Support for Integration

Eastern Europe: New Europe meets Old Europe  Geography  History – Sense of cohesive identity – Historical antecedents in political realms – Austro-Hungarian legacies  Depth of Communist Control  Post Communist Policies – Cleaning house of Communists – Adopting a market economy  Strategic welcoming