THei part 2 Flashcards
Context/ Why Constitutional Treaty
There were leftover issues from the Nice Treat.
- They had to legitimise the EU due to Euroscepticism and referenda.
There were subsidiarty issues in form of delineation of competences of EU member states.
The EU became more complex: who does waht? - The issue of the legal status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights
- Aim to simplify treaties without changing the substance.
International context of 9/11 and war on terror which dominated the international context.
Matters for EU due of NATO, attack on one member = attack on all.
EU response caused division: some wanted to help, other member states did not.
How would the Constitutional Treaty happen?
Laeken Declaration in 2001.
The goal here was to bring citizens closer to the EU by democratising and legitimising. Simplifying political system in an enlarged union.
The EU had to become a stabilising factor and model in the world.
This all would be done by a convention, IGC and an European Consitution. Different procedureL normally a convention would not be first
How was the Constitutional Treaty convention set up?
There were national government representatives and national parliament respresentatives.
Candidate member states + Commission respresentatives as well.
D’Estaing was Chairman. This was done due only government representatives would not be legitimate
Consitutional Treaty convention GOAL
The goal of the Consitutional Treaty convention was optimising the EU legitimacy part of the diabolic triangle.
- there was however, a weak Commission.
- National parliaments were new = inexperienced + uncoordination.
- European Parliament’s field so this gave them more legitimacy
–> national governments not really involved (IGC would follow)
The convention was mostly for show, as only the national governments of Member States had to accept.
–> It was consitutional because they came with an anthem + flag.
Came with President of EU to fix XI Jinping issue.
Binding Charter of Fundamental Rights instead of non-binding.
Legal acts = laws
No more IGCs, just conventions
Why did the Constitutional Treaty fail?
Failedu due to politisation due to referenda (NL+ France) –> UK .
EU presidency said to stop ratification and have a reflection pause.
Dutch referendum was unprepared.
Fear EU consititution is gonna be more important than national.
Another reason for no = Turkey applying for EU membership.: countries against it.
Old treaty stuff on table again, people voting against due first time hearing of these.
Context/ Why Lisbon Treaty
Continuation after reflection pause of Constitutional Treaty
How did the Lisbon Treaty happen?
After UK precidency; German presidency to prepare recommendations on institutional issues.
Merkel: wait of depolicisation + proposes a small + technical agenda of QMV reform with a stronger role for national parliament +limited competences of EU in taxation + social policy.
Franco-German engine: when France + Germany agree: they almost always get the rest on board.
Merkel + Sarkozy (office in 2007)
Treaty, start IGC, agreement and signing of TEU/TFEU (Treaty on European Union (roof) –> what is the EU, Treaty of Functioning EU (policies) –> pillars)
What changed in Lisbon Treaty compared to Consitutional Treaty?
Not consitutional; but amending treaties (not replacing)
- terminology
-charter of Fundamental rights= declaration, not binding
2 new treaties: TEU, TFEU
What changed in Lisbon Treaty compared to Nice when it comes to decision-making part of diabolic triangle?
There was an extension of decision-making through QMV.
The qualified majority vote went to 55%
Member states: 65% of population.
Reform due to the fact that small countries, with small population had same power as big countries.
President European Council
Stronger HIgh Representative of the Union + stronger EEAS (EU diplomatic service )
What changed in the Lisbon Treaty compared to Nice when it comes to the legitimacy part of diabolic triangle
European Parliament co-legislater in 95% of cases= co-decision.
largest party in EP determines political colour of Commission president.
Right of initiative for EU citizens.
> if EU citizens want to put something on the agenda they can by getting 1 million signatures
What changed in the Lisbon Treaty compared to Nice when it comes to the National control part of diabolic triangle
Clear delineation of competences. Exclusive, shared and supported.
Support means EU has no right to meddle in policy area.
Yellow card procedures for breaching subsidiarity principle
European Council strengthened: broad guidance formalised
Exit procedure
Aftermath of Lisbon Treaty
Ratification issues:
* Ireland referendum. 53% no with 53% turnout
* Germany unsuccesful court challenge
* Czech Republic refuses to sign because of the Charter of Fundamental Rights over Benes decrees. (After war a lot of Germans in Czech, all Germans got kicked out –> fear document can be used to contest this. They got an opt-out for this.)
Issues resolved by 2009
EMU’s influence on start of Euro Crisis
- the European Monetary Union had an unsolid structure.
- Monetary policy was made by ECB (European Central Bank) and the same for all Member states, but the economic policies were different between Member states.
(intergovernmental)
–> governments could not be punished by EU for spending too much - Economies were diverging due to this (growing in different pace, different issues)
and in order to converge them different monetary policies were needed: impossible. - No bail-out clause which meant that all debts + deficits were a porblem of the state and not other states as well.
External shock causing Euro crisis
2008 American Financial Crisis caused by mismanagment + lack of control and supervision in housing sector.
This blew over to Europe due interconnectedness of US and European economies.
All European countries became very much indebted
Monetary Union weakened → financial markets responds → aggravated situation
Greece tumbled into deep trouble, followed by Ireland, Portugal and Spain
Consequences Euro crisis
GDP growth stagnated.
This meant that governments had lower income.
Borrowing money= expensive, so only choice was austerity (spending cuts/ tax increases)
–> high unumployment rates in southern countries.
–> unable to pay unemployment benefits
Northern countries less hit. Southern states wanted bail-outs for Stability + Growth Pact rules, but northern countries did not want to allow this.
Measures to help improve financial/ conjunctural situation
Made the EMU more supranational
- European Central Bank president Mario Dragi:
‘’ Within our mandate, the ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro. And believe me it will be enough.’’
–> sudden faith in currency (even eurosceptics)
–> making them speculate in favour - Banks were bailed countries, due as seen of being too important for financial sector
3.Steps made for a banking union (more banking regulatons on suprantional level) - The intergovernmental European Stabilty Mechanism (ESM)
was created in order to loan money from rich to poor Member states - Loans from ESM with conditionality
(meaning the borrowing states had to
reorganise their economies) for Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal, Romania,
Spain and most of all for Greece. - There were also some fiscal and economic measures, such as the strengthening of
the SGP. - European Semester to give recommendations to countries’ economic policy to make economies move together
different views on Eurocrisis (monetarist/economists neutrals)
Monetarist/debtors:
‘‘end austerity, bail us out’’ –> end strict rules
Economists/creditors:
‘’ obey rules, reform economies, stop spending’’
Neutrals:
‘‘WTF is happening’’
The diabolic triancle after Euro Crisis measures
- More EU capacity due to more power/ competences towards European Central Bank
+ better reputation due to saving actor - National control increased because everyting of EC has to be approved by Council of Ministers
- EU legitimacy decreases due to European Parliament is on the sideliness
Case of Greece crisis
The Euro crisis hti the hardest in Greece. There was a very high unemployment rate and very high debt.
Greece had been lying about debts + deficits it had had over previous years.
the northern countries wanted to loan money to Greece but only if Greece would make some structural changes to its economy management.
The Greek government accepted this, because it otherwise would have gone bankrupt.; and it especially ut expenses on social polcy.
–> dissatisfaction among Greek people –> election of left wing populist government.
They held a referendum on acting out the agreements. With a 61,3% no-vote they re-entered negotiations and they still had some conditions, but they were a little bit less strict than in the previous agreement.
Cause of Refugee crisis
Arab spring: civil wars caused millions of Arabians to flee towards Europe.
European sentiment towards Refugee crisis
Terrorist attacks in Europe, which led to more anti-migration sentiments.
Two-sides in Europea towards Refugee crisis
- Help refugees and threat them as humanely as possible
Merkel ‘‘wir schaffen das.’’ - No refugees and push them back,.
They were seen by this side as people seeking to profit from western prosperity, rather than refugees. Led by right-wing populists.
Reaction towards Refugee crisis
The bordering states were most refugees entered were in distresesd and asked for help. The other states refused and pointed towards the Dublin Treaty, which said that migrants should seek asylum in the first country they enter in the Schengen-area. This came from a time where most refugees came by plane, however. Bordering states threatened to send migrants wherever they wanted to go, which caused the north-western states to agree to proportionally reallocate migrants across Europe. Central and eastern Europe did not agree and rejected the proposal for a Common European Asylum System.
Measures for Refugee crisis
- After rejecton of the Common European Assylum System; by centarl + eastern Europe: the system was set up on voluntary basis.
- Frontex was empowered as EU border + coast guard agency
- EU-Turkey deal to control refugee flow