1. Europe in the new millennium

2. Problems:
European governance -- what kinds of institutions for an EU of member-states?
Distribution of burdens and benefits?
Who gets what, when, and how?
Who pays – and how much?

3. The European Constitutional Convention
Made up of delegations from old and incoming member-states
Attempt to find solutions to multiple problems

4. Governance Should the EU be a
Centralized federation?
Decentralized trade association?
What kind of executive should the European union have?
How much power should it enjoy?
What role should member-state governments, parliaments, and European peoples play in governing Europe?

5. Executive power Should it be lodged in
A commission responsible to the European Parliament?
A rotating presidency?
A president selected by the member-states?
A directly elected President?

6. Controlling the EU
Opt for new system of weighted voting – decisions to be made by dual majorities
Member-states with weighted votes in the Council of Ministers
And majority of the population of Europe
Continued role for European Parliament
Role for yearly Congress of delegations from national parliaments

7. Distributing benefits and burdens
Reluctance of older member-states to give up benefits enjoyed under Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or regional aid (structural funds)
Consequence:
Newer member-states to enter on less than equal terms

8. Broader problem: European Union as constituted makes major decisions –
Lays out rules for economic activity
Guarantees basic rights
Yet
Decision-making more opaque than transparent
European publics have little affection or affinity for the EU
Deep skepticism about transferring further powers

9. Future directions Need to move beyond intergovernmental disputes
Need to form bases of identification and loyalty so that EU is more than a target of anger
Present situation:
EU is there, tries to act
Has flag, anthem but scant loyalty and affection
Scope of national government activity makes it difficult to emerge

10. National governments Britain:
Under Blair and New Labour, increasingly governed from the centre rather than left or right
Conservatives, with new leader, Michael Howard, moving back to the centre in order to compete

11. France
Government from the centre-right under President Chirac, Premier Rafferin
Left in disarray following defeat in 2002 Presidential and parliamentary elections
Questions about viability of its welfare state

12. Germany Social Democratic-Green government under Schroeder
Trying to cope with problems of
Reunification
Welfare state more generous than can population can sustain
Politics increasingly less organized, more conflictual

13. Italy
Collapse of First Republic in 1993, amid revelations of corruption
End of Christian Democratic (and Socialist dominance
Reorganization of party system
disappearance of most pre-1993 parties
Polarization into left and right clusters
Government from the right under media magnate Silvio Berlusconi

14. Broader change: Transformation of European politics
Still about nations and nationalism, but via discussion and argument, pursuit of business interests
National governments are still major players
But in an era of skepticism, increasingly sensitive to how their actions will play out among their citizens