The ‘One’ and the ‘Fifteen’?

‘Parliamentarisation’ of the CFSP: Wishful Thinking or a Rational Choice?

“…Therefore, legitimacy develops into an issue of major importance. 93 Furthermore, actions establishing both its own EU-level obligations and obligations for its Member States require a strong source of direct legitimacy, at least comparable with national legislatures. Thus, the EP hardly has any alternative.…”

“…In academic debate the idea of 'upgrading' the EP's role to that of an active participant in the CFSP decision-making process has already been discussed as being 'the simplest option to reduce the inconsistency of the Union's institutional design'. 128 From the institutional perspective, the establishment of parity for the EP's competences throughout all foreign policy areas will result in practical rationality benefits, including the unification of rules and procedures, as well as the simplification and harmonisation of the EU institutional system, leading to the reduction of transaction costs, which is often identified as a factor of institutional development. 129…”

“…156 This submission echoes the claim for strengthening the EP's formal rather than informal rights, as expressed in a number of previous studies. 157 The practical rationale of this argument lies in the need to establish a systematic and institutionalised structure of interaction, which requires the EP's right 'to be heard' to be assured, as this right is of vital importance for the effectiveness of parliamentary supervision. 158 Thus, the establishment of a stable basis requires its formalisation by legal means.…”

The Politicization of the European Union

“…The pro-EU political elites no longer can make decisions regarding the integration of the Union without considering public opinion on the topic . Since the debates surrounding the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the EU started to be politicized in national arenas, and individuals' attitudes towards Europe shifted from a 'permissive consensus' to a 'reluctant acceptance' (Mittag and Wessels, 2003) or even a 'constraining dissensus' . However, public opinion is often ill-informed about the EU and, consequently, vulnerable to construction and political persuasion de Vries, 2013;Pannico, , 2020.…”