EU and its citizens

Question 1

Early impetus and ideas for a people’s Europe

Answer 1

Idealism: ‘we are not forming coalitions between states but a union among people’ (Monnet)
Eurosclerosis: 1976 Tiedeman Report emphasized ‘Europe must be close to its citizens’
Legitimacy: accountability and Participation - First direct elections to EP 1979
Ideas: reduce internal frontiers of EC that have effected everyday lives

Enhancing EC image and European identity:
Euro lottery, town twinning, youth exchanges, emblem/flag, EU anthem, Mutual recognition of qualifications, common rules for voting in local government elections, common electoral system for European Parliament elections.

Question 2

Provisions within the TEU/Maastricht

Answer 2

Every national of a member state is also a citizen of the union
Entitled to the rights conferred by the EU treaty and subject to the duties it imposes.
Freedom within agreed to law to travel, settle, take a job, or set up a business anywhere within the EU
When a resident in another member state an EU citizen may vote and stand as a candidate in the municipal and European [but not national elections]
Right to petition the European parliament or, in a case of grievance, to apply to the ombudsman for help

Democracy, Transparency, Accountability:
Powers Increased
Conferred power of co-decision
Commission to engage in amore expensive and open consultation process
Council of ministers to open sessions to public

Question 3

The Lisbon Treaty

Answer 3

Restarted importance of citizenship and democratic principles within treaties - “every citizen shall have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union. Decisions shall be taken as openly and as closely possible to the citizen”
Strengthens the European Parliament and improves transparency e.g. co-decision extended, some council meetings in public, etc.
Charter of fundamental rights given legal effect

Question 4

Europe for Citizens programme

Answer 4

Launched by the EP and council in December 2006; Ran 2007-13, 2014-2020
Key objectives supported by a range of actions:
1. Active citizens of Europe. Town Twinning and citizen’s projects
2. Active civil society in Europe - support for think tanks and civil society organizations
3. Together for Europe. Tackling Remoteness. High visibility events and studies.
4. Active European remembrance

Priorities
Challenging Euroscepticism and fostering informed debate
Solidarity in times of crisis
Combatting the stigmatization of migrants and building counter narratives to foster intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.
Debate on the future of Europe

Question 5

Difficulties in fostering identification between the EU and its citizens

Answer 5

National sovereignty and nationalism
Long Westphalian tradition of national identities
Difficulty in creating commons sense of purpose and identity
Committee of Regions ineffective
Awareness and information. 2015 survey only 14% knew what the charter of fundamental rights was, 44% in the UK had never heard of it.
Press coverage
National Government policies.

Question 6

The end of permissive consensus??

Answer 6

Lindberg and Scheingold (1970) - Permissive consensus might not survive a major increase in scope/capacity of the EC.
Negative Referenda Results:
- Norwegian ‘double’ rejection of EU membership
- Danish initial rejection of TEU
- Irish initial rejection of the Nice Treaty
Overall post Cold War trend:
Greater popular distrust/opposition as integration both widens and deepens. E.g. Eurobarometer Spring 2023 49% Germans and 53% French tended not to trust EU institutions