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The European Constitutional Settlement
Author(s) -
Moravcsik Andrew
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
world economy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.594
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1467-9701
pISSN - 0378-5920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9701.2007.01086.x
Subject(s) - economics , geopolitics , european union , settlement (finance) , politics , ideology , political economy , mediation , compromise , positive economics , economic system , law and economics , political science , international economics , law , finance , payment
This paper argues first that a synthesis of the theories of endogenous policy formation, non‐coercive interstate bargaining theory, and international regime theory provides a plausible account of the path of European integration, with little role for explanations stressing geopolitical or ideological factors, international mediation, or political entrepreneurship. Moreover, these theories – which embrace economic fundamentals as driving factors – help explain the ‘sequencing’ of the European Union, especially in regard to successive enlargements. However, the paper concludes that the process of European integration appears to have reached an ‘institutional plateau’, for which incremental change based on the current ‘constitutional compromise’ appears to be the only plausible equilibrium.