The European Refugee Crisis: transitioning the EU from state-centric ‘kingdoms’ to a federalist system of multi-level governance

Abstract

In an era where European integration has become increasingly questioned and where Euroscepticism battles the objectives envisioned by the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, the European Union (EU) desperately needs to revitalize its project of unification if its hopes to survive. Events of the last decade, such as the sovereign debt crisis, the global financial crisis, and the evolving refugee crisis, have challenged the efficacy of the EU and have seemingly undermined its legitimacy as a regulatory body. Taken individually, these crises pose a potent threat to the success of European integration and to the enlargement of member state unification. Most recently, the ongoing refugee crisis has created a sense of disunion within the EU giving way to a state of calamity as successive European efforts have failed at resolving this issue. Reeling from civil conflict and political turmoil, individuals from various regions, most notably Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, have fled the dangers and uncertainties of their homes in order to seek refuge within neighbouring European countries. This arduous and sudden development has prompted commentators, such as former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, to claim that the solidarity of the EU is being threatened at a level not seen since the migrant crisis of 1945 during the Second World War.[...]