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Contents Claudiu CRACIUN Political Science and the European Construction_____________________4 Özden U. Akbas Potential Challenges of European Enlargement to the European Structure5 1. Introduction: Background of the Enlargement Process______________ 5 2. Institutional Challenges _____________________________________ 6 3. Economic Problems ________________________________________ 7 4. External Security___________________________________________ 8 5. Justice and Home Affairs ____________________________________ 9 6. Europe's Responses to Challenges of Enlargement _______________ 10 7. Conclusion ______________________________________________ 12 References_________________________________________________ 12 Malte Brosig Three Roads to Europe or the Social Construction of European Affairs_14 ”Seizing the middle ground”___________________________________ 14 Social Learning_____________________________________________ 15 Argumentative Action________________________________________ 15 Rhetorical Action ___________________________________________ 16 Three Roads, one direction? A Critical Analysis ___________________ 17 Conclusion ________________________________________________ 19 References_________________________________________________ 19 Raúl José Feliciano-Ortiz Re-Defining sovereignty: How the EU has expanded the possibilities for Puerto Rico 20 Sovereignty: past and present __________________________________ 20 Present Progressive: The European re-definition of the concept _______ 21 The lack of Puerto Rican Sovereignty: past and present______________ 22 Future: Applying this new concept to a scared colony _______________ 22 So in conclusion...___________________________________________ 23 References_________________________________________________ 23 Qerim QERIMI The European Union’s Southeast Enlargement: Prospects and Challenges25 Introduction________________________________________________ 25 The Enlargement Process _____________________________________ 25 Challenges towards South - Eastern Enlargement __________________ 26 The EU Role and Contribution in South - Eastern Europe ____________ 27 Inter-ethnic Reconciliation as a means for European Integration _______ 28 The Advantages of European Enlargement________________________ 28 Conclusion ________________________________________________ 29 References_________________________________________________ 47 Salomeea Romanescu 2 Roma: A Challenge and Opportunity for a New EU Paradigm of Enlargement 31 Introduction________________________________________________ 31 The question _______________________________________________ 35 Raising awareness on the Roma issue____________________________ 37 Conclusions________________________________________________ 41 References_________________________________________________ 43 Roberto Scaruffi Which EU and what for? _______________________________________45 EU towards the East and South-east _____________________________ 45 From common market to “super-State”? _________________________ 46 Unifying EU markets with subsides and without adequate surface communications? 47 EU as State building _________________________________________ 49 Some open questions ________________________________________ 51 References_________________________________________________ 51 3 Claudiu CRACIUN∗ The Columnist (Politikon Editorial) Political Science and the European Construction It gives me great pleasure to write the Editorial for this special number of Politikon, a num- ber dedicated to the Fifth IAPSS Annual Conference and General Assembly. Due to the wonderful work of few students there is a constant improvement in the quality of this publication, which was seen by the people who initiated it as the academic “spine” which will help IAPSS fulfill its aims. The present number brings together pieces that can be easily hosted by some of the most successful Poli Sci magazines, on a theme that appeared to us one of the most challenging up to this moment. Political Science discipline, even though very old by its roots of treating different aspects of authority and power, is a new discipline. The distance between the quality of the intellectual contri- butions and the institutional development was usually very large. For example in one of the Euro- pean states, Austria, Political Science as a discipline and a regular academic scheme was accepted only in the early 80’s. The discipline had to earn a place, both theoretically and institutionally among the entrenched disciplines of History, Law and Economics. Even though attaining some formal status and respectability was extremely vulnerable in terms of securing solid theoretical and methodological instruments. Political Science, especially in the Anglo Saxon milieu, surrenders to the economically derived approaches, while the French PolSci literature never really tried to dis- tance itself from the traditional sociological stance. Political Science is by nature a very sensitive discipline to the processes and phenomena around. It often fell in cvasi-ideological traps highlighting the difficulties when one is forced to ad- dress the problems of its aims and uses. The European integration processes are by far the most complex and demanding political project ever undertook by a large number of countries. Again, po- litical scientists will react as well as the others, trying to accommodate their research instruments with the dynamic of the process and the other way around. Even acknowledging the gains of inter- disciplinary, sectorialization and hybridization in the present social sciences, we can still pose a question that might seem trivial: To whom do “scientifically” the European studies belong? The study of Europe and the consequent theoretical developments followed a certain institu- tional agenda. Europe started as a project using economic instruments for geopolitical aims. Conse- quently, geopolitics, economy and law claimed the European research for themselves. The Political Science with its usual focus on representative legislative and governmental processes came later to offer and agenda for the EU research, as soon as the institutional development went further towards integrations in what it can be considered an attempt to build both a European polity and a European system of governance. More than ever, when there is a foundational debate about the evolution of Europe, the Political Science contribution is not only legitimate but also practically irreplaceable. Even though extremely concerned with the European issues, Political Science should not close its “borders” and proceed in bridging interdisciplinary efforts. Yet, it is highly arguable whether these efforts should bring about a European Political Science. Throughout the debate-schedule in the conference we cannot tackle all the dilemmatic as- pects of the European integration. Thinking about Europe we can inquire about political identities, democratic culture, the accountability of politicians, or the impact of political institutions on eco- nomic growth, equality, and employment. Probably, we will not seek for definitive answers. Hope- fully we can learn how to ask the right questions. ∗ IAPSS Chairperson and Head of the “New Europe. The quest for Identity and Legitimacy” Conference, Bucharest, 2002 4 Özden U. Akbas∗ Potential Challenges of European Enlargement to the European Structure Abstract: This paper examines the problems in the enlargement process of the EU and will point out how these difficulties can be solved so as to achieve a better and more effective functioning Union, and my aim is to deal with basic issues that are seen as problematic in the enlargement. These are namely EU institutions, security, economy -.e. possible costs of the process, revision of the CAP, and allocation of the structural funds-, migration, and transitional period of the applicant states. In each section, after pointing at the functioning of the Union and hinting at problems as such, I give some suggestions and prospects for a better system in the issue. In the conclusion section, I give a summary as to what I have discussed so far. 1. Introduction: Background of the Enlargement Process After the dissolution of the Soviet bloc, The European Union has witnessed a unique challenge in terms of member- ship application for the EU. This was also precipitated by Europe's further economic integration achieved by the launching of the Single European Act and Single Market Program, as now-candidate countries faced the problem of lagging behind vis-à- vis their neighbor countries in the west. For them, integration with the Union would constitute an undeniable opportunity to undertake democratic and economic reforms, which would certainly ease their problems regarding the transition to a more democratic and market-oriented state administration after the collapse of communism. Today, together with these Central and Eastern European Countries (CEE) the number of candidate countries amounted to thirteen, namely Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey. In spite of current world conditions, which facilitated this proliferation in membership applications, the basic conditions for enlargement were already set out in the Treaty of Rome, in the article, which states that "Any European state may apply to become a member of the Union. It shall address its application to the Council, which shall act unanimously after consulting the Commission and after receiving the assent of the European