*** CHRISTIAN FRANCK, SANDRA BOLDRINI (Editors): Annales d'études européennes de l'Université catholique de Louvain. Une Constitution pour un projet et des valeurs. Etablissements Emile Bruylant (67 rue de la Régence, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 5129845 - fax: 5117202 - E-mail: info@bruylant.be - Internet: http://www.bruylant.be ). "Annales d'études européennes de l'Université catholique de Louvain" series, No. 7. 2004, 238 pp, € 50. ISBN 2-8027-1999-8.
The Institute of European Studies at the Catholic University of Leuven has taken the initiative of publishing the multi-disciplinary annals of the work and research carried out by the University's faculties. This initiative contains contributions from academic partners and other university institutions too. This seventh issue successfully clarifies and provides an insight into several aspects of the European Constitution currently being ratified, by way of three main principles: European project, religious reference and European identity.
The first part of the book provides an overall assessment of the constitutional text. Professor Christian Franck affirms that, “the constitutional treaty provides continental Europe with the means to respond”. Franck asserts that the text deepens the “political dimension of political union” outlined by President Mitterand and Chancellor Kohl just before the Maastricht Treaty. Nonetheless, the president of the Institute of European Studies at UCL does not gloss over the “imperfections”, the election of the president of the Commission by the Parliament appears to him to contain potentially dangerous implications involving an evolution from “simple capacity control” to a “limited form of parliamentarianism”, which could clearly spread to the whole College and “damage the independence” of the institution. Professor Franck explains that, “insofar as the Commission is as much at the service of Member States as the Parliament, maintaining the supranational character of the Commission, combined with its supra-partisan character, it could affect the functioning of the whole institutional set-up”. Two other contributions replace the Constitution in the historical perspective of the European project: Jérôme Wilson looks at the “origins of Community law” (clarifying, in particular, the role played by Pierre Uri and Maurice Lagrange); Nathalie Tousignant and Geneviève Warland proposes a clear rereading of preambles to the different treaties. Loïc Grard from the Université de Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV provides an illuminating decoding of the tensions between the “big” and “small” Member States. He admits that in the Union of the future those experiencing the most discrimination will certainly not be those we would have a priori believed previously.
As an extra, let's make special mention in this first part, the two Swiss analysts of European integration who ask whether the Constitution will “allow for more identification of citizens with the Union”. Both are from the University of Geneva, René Schwok and Nicolas and Levrat have their doubts. Their critical evaluation leads them to illustrate, quite rightly, that the continued rise in power of the European Parliament, has not up to now, generated a “feeling of democratic participation” among citizens, a reason why Convention Members thought about “diversifying the democratic mechanisms”. Therefore, national parliaments will become the “guardians of subsidiary” but this evolution no matter how justified in “legal and institutional terms”, is not “likely to engage citizen' commitment to further integration” or at most strengthen the role parliamentarians' as national guard dogs. These two authors find the saving grace in the “real novelty” that the direct democratic mechanism provides in opening the way up to citizens' initiatives. The inclusion of fundamental rights in the constitutional text and innovations in foreign, security and defence policy provoke a scepticism as for their capacity to positively influence citizens. The second part of the book, which without having an impact on the institutional architecture, is no less a sensitive subject: that of the religious reference in the Constitution. The theologian José Reding says that the generic allusion to “cultural, religious and humanist heritages” bears the mark of deep disagreement and likely to prevent any “unilateral philosophical or theological foundation”. Other contributions very usefully clarify the different aspects and implications of this controversial theme. The third part explores, in a variety of ways, the issue of European identity and values that nourish it. Hume and Hegel are quoted but the Turkish and Bulgarian questions are also studied too. Philippe Reyniers analyses this question via the problematic of services of general interest and asks whether there should be “a European identity concerning the relationship between state and market”. Informative throughout!
Michel Theys
*** TAKIS TRIDIMAS, PAOLISA NEBBIA (Editors): European Union Law for the Twenty-First Century. Rethinking the new legal order - Volume. Hart Publishing (Salters Boatyard, Folly Bridge, Abingdon Rd, Oxford, OX1 4LB, England. Tel: (44-1865) 245533 Fax: 794882 - E-mail: mail@hartpub.co.uk - Internet: http//: http://www.hartpub.co.uk ). "Essays in European law" series. 2004, 466 pp, £ 50. ISBN 1-84113-456-2
This book summarises the work carried out the work accomplished at the WG Hart workshop at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London. These reflections cover four fields: constitutional law, external relations, the common market and Community policies. The two last themes are included in the second volume. The first deals with, by way of contributions from around twenty authors, constitutional law and external relations, subjects of immense pertinence. The Constitutional Treaty has just put the finishing touches to eight “constitutional” reforms of the last twenty five years. It certainly constitutes the event in European law of this dawn of the 21st century and its success will depend on the additional functioning and legitimacy that it could breathe into the European Union. The different contributions explore European constitutional law by way of the challenges awaiting the Constitution, ranging from powers shared between Member States of the Union and the different institutions within them and the place of fundamental rights in the treaty. The second part of the book focuses on the Union's external relations and the setting of common external, security and defence policy, as well as the relationship with the WTO, and immigration and asylum policies. All the different, varied and in-depth contributions make for a precious document for all those interested in the themes covered.
(FRo)
*** SIMON HIX: The Political System of the European Union. Palgrave MacMillan (Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire UK-RG21 6XS, United Kingdom. Tel: (44-1256) 329242 - fax: 842084 - E-mail: mdl@macmillan.co.uk - Internet: http://www.palgrave.com ). "The European Union series". 2005, 354 pp, £ 21.99. ISBN 0-333-69352-3
Simon Hix is a lecturer in comparative European politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, director of the European Parliament Research Group and co-editor of the review European Union Politics. At the time of the publication of the first edition of this book in 1999, the very concept of the European Union as a political system was even more controversial. This circumspection is no longer valid with an enlarged European Union of twenty five members and which is expected to have a constitution, which clearly differentiates it from other traditional international organisations. The first edition of this book already responded to the need for a coherent and global study tool of the European political system. However, since then, the Union is more integrated and complex and its weight as an autonomous actor has increased. As a result there has been a profusion of studies, which the author in this book strives to summarise in this volume. He opens with a general introduction on the Union's political system. Hix then studies in more detail the different branches of European governance. Three chapters of the second part focuses on the European policy actors: public opinion; democratic deficit, parties and elections; representation of interest groups. Simon Hix then examines European policies: single market, economic and monetary union, security and justice, foreign affairs etc. The author concludes by highlighting the concepts of political science that allow for a better understanding of how the Union works and how this kind of study facilitates a re-evaluation of these very concepts and theories. Drawing a link between study of the Union's political system and current political science theories, the whole book is backed up by a solid empirical data base and provides a key contribution for researchers and students. (FRo)
*** MARCEL PAQUET: Nous autres Européens. Traité éthico-politique. Editions de la Différence (47 rue de la Villette, F-75019 Paris. Internet: http://www.ladifference.fr ). "Les essais" series, No. 35. 2004, 492 pp, € 30. ISBN 2-7291-1515-3.
This is a passionate book with a philosophy that gauges the Constitution and the specific European condition, on the basis of instruments that it has mastered and which are too seldom used in the framework of European construction. It offers a refreshing and sometimes impressive interpretation (some would obviously contest this) but it is resolutely positive. After a succinct presentation of the philosophy itself “in order to prevent it becoming immediately confounded with what it is not and goals assigned to it, which it cannot accomplish without going back on” (this is not the least instructive part of the book for those who want to expand their field of vision). The author in turn tackles an array of ideas, the concept of politics and ethnicity. He alludes to, “the spirit of the Constitution of Europe”, adding, “the Constitution should be read in an ethical joy, as a sort of hymn to life, which responds to Schiller's anthem, this European anthem, which is in fact better than the Marseillaises and the Brabançonne”. In a nutshell, this explains everything. But his book has other things to say. Marcel Paquet has a lot of things so say. Read it! (MT)
*** DEREK BEACH: The Dynamics of European Integration. Why and when EU institutions matter. Palgrave MacMillan (Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS, UK. Tel: (44-1256) 329242 - fax: 812521 - E-mail: mdl@macmillan.co.uk - Internet: http://www.palgrave.com ). 2005, 304 pp, £. 18.99 ISBN 1-4039-3634-X.
Lecturer at the Faculty of political science at the Danish University of Aarhus, Derek Beach's book provides a revealing study on how the “supranational” European institutions of the Commission, European Parliament and also the Secretary General of the Council influence the integration process beyond their management of current affairs. Formally, Member States are the “Masters of the Treaties”, which the Intergovernmental Conference following the work of the European Convention has again confirmed in a striking way. By scrupulously studying the different reforms of the Treaties and enlargements since the 1980s, the author, nonetheless, illustrates that reality is quite different. In a methodical way, he demonstrates that the institutions have played a significant role in each of these events, at least when they have been able to demonstrate their sense of leadership. Beach is very convincing when he says that the Secretary General of the Council, which he locates between the “supranational” institutions” (the Council itself is the preferred body of the individual Member States), exerted a great influence than the Commission or Parliament in the 1990s. An instructive book for deconstructing certain preconceived ideas.
(PBo)
*** PASCAL DELWIT (Editors): Social Democracy in Europe. Editions de l'Université de Brussels (26 av. Paul Héger - cp163, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 6503799 fax: 6503794 - E-mail: editions@admin.ulb.ac.be - Internet: http//: http://www.editions-universit é-bruxelles.be). "Sociologie politique" series. 2005, 250 pp., € 29. ISBN 2-8004-1341-7
This book is the English version of a book recently reviewed by Agence Europe in January, “Where is Social Democracy Going ?” the Social Democrats have kept the upper hand in a large number of European countries over recent decades, particularly during the “golden sixties” before losing ground. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then and the political scene and the social democratic movements themselves have changed. As Pascal Delwit demonstrates, the social democratic family is large and varied and the fall of the Berlin Wall added to the differences. Consequently, the book not only examines the social democrat parties in the proper sense of the word but also the other organisations that claim this tradition. The authors therefore present the modifications to the environment, the upset to the world order, changes in ethical and ideological values, the emergence of new rival parties etc and their effects on social democracy. Social democracy has had to revise its political lines and organisational characteristics, particularly through the search for the “third way”. Certain chapters examine what really appears to be a new beginning for social democracy in Western Europe but also in Eastern and Central European countries. Other articles look at the case of the Labour Party and Spanish social democracy, as well as new alliances and coalitions or the evolution in relationships between social democracy and civil society. This book will be of most interest to social democrats themselves and academics but as a quotation by Pierre Martin affirms at the beginning of one of his articles, “for those who are interested in the survival of organisations that goes beyond the reasons for their originally being set up”.
(FRo)
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following document:
*** Régions et communes d'Europe. Committee of the Regions - "Press and communication" Unit (101 rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2822155 - fax: 2822085 - Internet: http: //http://www.cor.eu.int ). Mars 2005, n° 47, 12 p..
Sir Albert Bore, first vice-president of the Committee of the Regions appeals for a “sufficient budgetary contribution to cities and regions of the enlarged Union, so that they can meet the political challenges of 2007-2013". This represents an amount equivalent to 0.41% of the Union's GDP. An amount necessary for reducing the major disparities in the Union, a difficult task but for which effective use has to be demonstrated and underlined. The review also provides an interview with Graham Meadows, Director General of DG Regional Policy, who refers to the Commission's priorities for regional policy and the Open Days, the European week of the regions and cities, organised on the theme of reform of cohesion policy. The main article focuses on the reworking of the Lisbon Strategy. The Commission's approach on this policy has raised some concerns among Committee members.
*** Liaisons sociales Europe. Groupe Liaisons (1 av. Edouard-Belin, F-92500 Rueil-Malmaison. Tel: (33-8) 25800929 - fax: (33-1) 44722027 - Internet: http//http://www.liaisons-sociales.com ). March 2005, No. 124, 16 pp., 32 euros. Subscription: 867.85 euros.
This publication begins with the title, “Saint Chirac strikes down the Bolkestein dragon and saves social Europe”. This canonisation is due to the French president's speech at the last European Council, during which he gained points in a number of areas, including the reaffirmation of the social dimension to the Lisbon Strategy and “starting the Stability Pact up from scratch”. Therefore, the Council affirms, according to the publication, that the “internal market of services has to be fully operational while preserving the European social model” and that “current drafting off the Bolkestein directive does not fully respond to these demands”. Another paper tackles the new Commission policy on restructuring and better planning and management of economic transformations in an effort to reconcile citizens' well-being with rapid adaptations. Other articles focus on the human and financial cost of stress at work and the heated debates at the European Parliament on getting rid of the opt-out on the Working Time Directive
*** Forum. Bertelsmann Stiftung (256 Carl-Bertelsmann-Straâe, D-33311 Gütersloh. Tel: (052-41) 8181310 - fax: 8181999 - E-mail: info@bertelsmann.de -Internet: http://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de ). 2005, No. 1, 42 pp..
The central theme of this issue of the Bertelsmann Foundation magazine is integration. Around twenty pages of this dossier tackles the question of cohabitation of cultures, integration policies at local and federal levels, the evaluation of intercultural competencies and the fight against racism and the far right in general. The magazine examines a number of social issues, such as the importance of education from nursery school age, the loneliness of the elderly, transparency of medical practices and prospects and different possible scenarios for German social security.
*** The Federalist Debate. The Federalist Debate (26 via Schina, I-10144 Torino. Tel. & fax: (39-11) 4732843 - E-mail: federalist.debate@libero.it - Internet: http://www.federalist-debate.org ). March 2005, No. 1, 64 pp., subscription: 15 euros.
This publication allows a number of writers from different horizons to give their visions on a range of themes. Certain contributions tackle Europe. In this context, one article deals with the decisive role that the European Union could play in the fight against terrorism. Others tackle the doctrine of European security, the Constitution and, for example, the different concepts the USA and the EU have of the world. The Borderless Debate focuses on Turkey in Europe. Other contributions look at human rights in Guantanamo, the UN, the fight against AIDS and actions carried out by the federalist movement, such as the joint India-Pakistan peace forum
Reviews in brief
*** Libre Cours. Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix. 1er trimestre 2005, Namur. This magazine presents news from the Namur University world, as well as news on Belgian and international education and research.