Abstract
This paper begins with the proposition that the EU faces a problem of politics or to put it another way is characterized by a politics trap and that trap is consequential. A trap, for the purpose of this paper, is defined as a position or situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape. The idea of a trap draws on the seminal article by Scharpf on the joint-decision trap (Scharpf, 1988) which had a major impact on the study of the EU. The focus of this paper is an analysis the politics trap by examining the three components of political order-polity, policy and politics. The politics trap is significantly more complex and multifaceted than the decision trap, which is one mode of decision making whereas the politics trap is a product of the nature of the EU itself and the structuring of politics in Europe. The compound character of the EU polity (states and peoples) is identified as the root structural cause of the Union’s politics trap. There remains a deep tension but also multiple binding ties between the national and the European, between the new polity and the older order of Europe’s nation states.
Highlights
As we approach the third decade of the 21st century, the European Union (EU) has embarked on one of its periodic deliberations on the future of the Union
Both scholarly and media portrayal of the EU emphasize the gaps between the demand for EU governance and its supply without paying sufficient attention to its core features as an experimental political order with limited capacity
The core features, analyzed in this paper, are the reliance of the EU on ‘integration through law’, a set of collective institutions underpinned by a nascent political community and a policy mix that is skewed towards regulation
Summary
European University Institute Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Europe’s Union in the 21st Century: From Decision Trap to Politics Trap. The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, created in 1992 and currently directed by Professor Brigid Laffan, aims to develop inter-disciplinary and comparative research on the major issues facing the process of European integration, European societies and Europe’s place in 21st century global politics. The Centre is home to a large post-doctoral programme and hosts major research programmes, projects and data sets, in addition to a range of working groups and ad hoc initiatives. The research agenda is organised around a set of core themes and is continuously evolving, reflecting the changing agenda of European integration, the expanding membership of the European Union, developments in Europe’s neighbourhood and the wider world. The EUI and the RSC are not responsible for the opinion expressed by the author(s)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
