Do norms matter? The principle of solidarity and the EU's eastern enlargement

Abstract

This article explores whether and how the norm of ‘solidarity' has been demonstrated in the enlargement policy of the European Union (EU) towards the ten former communist countries from Central and Eastern Europe aspiring for EU membership. According to constructivist approaches, which dominate the literature on eastern enlargement, the EU's decision to enlarge was norm-driven and is therefore better understood within a constructivist rather than a rationalist framework. However, this article argues that, while the norm of solidarity has provided some of the initial impetus for the start of the EU's eastern enlargement process, it has had a more limited impact on defining the EU's enlargement policy as regards concrete policy issues. This article aims to contribute to the current debate between rationalist and constructivist theories in European integration by arguing that there is a difference in the degree of influence of normative factors on EU policies when considering long-term — as opposed to — short-term interests. It demonstrates there are limits to the role of norms in the EU's eastern enlargement policy when the focus of analysis shifts from the EU's decision to enlarge to the level of substantive policy issues, where EU actors' short-term interests prevail.