*** ROBERT FRANK, ROSALIND GREENSTEIN (Eds.): Gouvernance et identités en Europe. 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 ). "Axes" series, No. 26. 2004, 278 pp, €30. ISBN 2-8027-1981-5.
"For more than half a century, everything has been bringing Europeans closer together, apart from opinion on institutional issues, which are the least shared things in Europe"… The European Constitutional Treaty is in limbo, so looking at governance and those doing the governing in the enlarged EU along, more importantly!, with those being governed and how they view, accept and reject decisions that come down from above, is of vital importance. Hence the great utility of this multi-disciplinary book looking at the meshing of governance and identity and, in more detail, how national and even regional identity meshes with the European identity.
In the first part of the book, the authors look at the very ideas of governance and identity from the viewpoint of their particular disciplines. Attempting to define the terms are Rosalind Greenstein (linguist), Robert Frank (historian), Georges Prévélakis (geographer), Michel Girard (political scientist) and Christian de Boissieu (economist). They compare and contrast the decision-making processes used by those who govern, and the identification process of those they govern with the powers represented by those governing. Breakdowns in, and the dynamics of European governance are then looked at in three significant case studies, namely the Common Agricultural Policy (Georges Saunier, historian), INTERREG (Pierre Beckouche and Yann Richard, geographers) and the European Central Bank (Hubert Kempf, economist). The second part of the book looks at the European institutions. Should reducing the democratic deficit involve building a genuinely European 'public area' and ending the monopoly of national public arenas (historian Hartmut Kaelble) and/or introducing more political transparency in the drawing up and implementing of decisions (political scientist Amanda Frost, who makes a very pertinent comparison with the situation in the United States)? And are the above changes a necessary precondition to constitutional changes? This sends us back to the European Constitution, which will be seen as a decisive moment in the history of the European project, no matter how it actually pans out, thereby confirming (by default) the scale of the current state of confusion. Nevertheless, it be no more than another in a series of points in time (although most likely more decisive and clarifying than others) as we can see from former failures that shed eloquent light on the problems of constitutionalising Europe (historian Elisabeth du Réau). Moreover, the reign of the euro, the stateless currency, sparks debate on the long road of economic governance in Europe (economist Liem Hoang-Ngoc). Political scientist Jean-Claude Colliard argues that solutions probably exist for partially removing the contradictions between Europe's political tradition, the crucible of parliament, and the European Union, the only entity in Europe that does not operate under the rules of a parliamentary system. Legal expert Didier Maus describes a series of potential constitutional scenarios, illustrating the infinite range of possible solutions.
To give an illustration of the huge utility of the book, I could select the essay by Robert Frank, looking first at the difficult move from European cultural identity (which in many ways preceded national identity, as he explains) to European political identity. The European consciousness that arose after World War Two (he comments that Europe would probably not have been created without the preceding tragedy), has not led to feeling European, in other words a sentimental attachment to the collective we hope to build, or a fortiori to a feeling of belonging to a European entity. At most, 'awareness without feeling' has been born, generated by crises, threats and failures, which confer the strength to build, explains the author, but not positive values. Lecturer in the history of contemporary international relations at University Paris I, Robert Frank then elaborates on the theme of governance, seeing governance without awareness of identities as doing nothing but than ruining the European soul. He points out that the relatively recent concept of governance is used as a fig leaf to cover the absence of European government, even though it is also used to describe the new balance between national and European identity, no longer antagonistic, but part of the very same identity system. He sums up by calling for an increase in the powers conferred by European citizenship, failing which there would be the danger of a serious crisis of democracy breaking out in Europe. He gives the striking example of good economic governance: "To ensure good economic governance, decisions are taken depending on European constraints, leaving national governments little room for manoeuvre. As long as there is no political alternative at European level, freely chosen by voters, the alternating political formations in each individual country will seem illusory, because the various majorities are trapped in a framework that prevents them from practising noticeably different economic policies. Hence this impression of powerlessness in politics and the opening left for populism and abstentionism of all sorts - the more people have the feeling European powers do not take any notice of them, the more Europe will disappoint them; and the more they detect the lack of power at the level of the national powers they have more control over, the more they may reject them, seeing them as increasingly useless". Surely this provides a key to understanding the French 'no' vote on the European Constitution and the fact that Le Pen reached the second round of the European presidential elections. Food for very urgent thought!
Michel Theys
*** ALEXANDRA LAIGNEL-LAVASTINE: Esprits d'Europe. Autour de Czeslaw Milosz, Jan Patocka, István Bibó. Calmann-Lévy (Paris. Internet: http://www.calmann-levy.fr ). 2005, 354 pp, €22. ISBN 2-7021-3464-5.
This is a very fine book in which the author, a philosopher and historian of ideas, sheds light on the 'bright' side of the intellectual heritage of the other Europe, looking at three emblematic figures from the other side of the former Iron Curtain, "three men with exemplary careers, some of the greatest figures of our times". First of all, Polish poet and essayist Czeslaw Milosz, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1980, who coined the idea of the 'other Europe'. Much of his work is haunted by the tragic twentieth century. Then Czech philosopher and opposition activist Jan Patocka, assassinated by the secret police in Prague. Along with Vaclav Havel, he was the first Charter 77 spokesperson for human rights and democratic freedoms. Finally, István Bibó, Hungarian political analyst and hero of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. He is the author of the visionary analysis of the outbursts of collective hysteria that regularly rock European society. Alexandra Laignel-Lavastine marshals her thought around the ideas, careers and influence of these three emblematic travellers of the last century, describing their unusual paths and outlining the backdrop of the tragic epoch that formed them, the Nazis, Stalinism, etc. Three poles of thought around which she arranges an echo of various other Central European thinkers, from Kafka to Kundera via Václav Havel, 2002 Nobel Prize for Literature winner Imre Kertész, philosopher Leszek Kolakowski, and more, less known in the West. The author argues that the message of these great eye-witnesses haunted by the twilight of the gods in Europe and the question of Evil in politics is not out of date but instead is of the moment. "From their long sojourn in the heart of darkness", she writes, these three men "give us (…) some major discoveries, capable even of changing our vision of Europe, the world, democratic demands and ourselves". What if tomorrow's Europe were to be found in their writings?
(MT)
*** ANGEL VINAS: Al Servicio de Europa. Innovación y crisis en la Comisión europea. Editorial Complutense (63 Donoso Cortés, 3a planta, 28015 Madrid. Tel: (34-91) 3946460 - Fax: 3946458 - e-mail: ecsa@rect.ucm.es - Internet: http://www.ucm.es/info/ecsa ). 2004, 572 pp. ISBN 84-7491-778-6.
What does the European Commission do exactly? How do people work at the European Commission and what does it feel like? How does it defend its interests and how does it integrate Member States' interests? After working at the European Commission for fourteen years, Angel Vinas answers these questions (still being asked by a lot of European citizens and people from outside the EU). In the introduction, his explanations and demystifications are hailed by Enrique Barón Crespo. The author looks at the Stations of the Cross undergone by the Santer Commission. Lecturer these days at Complutense University in Madrid, Vinas also looks at European policies on Latin America and Asia, security and human rights and the problems the EU is experiencing to assert itself at the United Nations.
(LD)
*** DIDIER BLANC: Les Parlements européen et français face à la fonction législative communautaire. Aspects du déficit démocratique. L'Harmattan (5-7 rue de l'École-Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40467920 - Fax: 43258203 - e-mail: diffusion.harmattan@wanadoo.fr). "Logiques juridiques" series. 2004, 527 pp, €42. ISBN 2-7475-7559-4.
There are variations in the definition of democracy, but the European Union, while based on legislation ratified by representatives of democratic legitimacy, is not wholly democratic, "particularly since the EU's legislative function suffers from democratic deficit" despite the fact the principle of democracy guides the European project. This democratic deficit has been hoisted by opponents of the European project, who see nation states as the only framework for democracy. This book can be seen as telling the tale of the battle of the French parliament and the European Parliament to increase their powers in the EU legislative process and thereby cut the democratic deficit. The battle is described at length in the book in an in-depth study of the European Parliament's role and changes to it, from pure consultation to codecision. But the European Parliament is not the only parliament to get more involved in the EU legislative process. Although not an EU legislator, the French parliament does help to fill the democratic deficit through its job of controlling and influencing legislation, as explained in the book. The author comments that this means "the European Parliament and the French parliament share a common destiny", and "in opposition to common ideas, their fate is inseparably linked" - strengthening their powers within the EU legislative process is done in parallel. He also argues that while the European Parliament "suffers from a deficit, it is more a deficit of political and symbolic proximity than a democratic deficit as such".
(FRo)
*** GÖTZ ZEDDIES: Perspektiven der Gemeinschaftspolitiken in der erweiterten EU. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, Postfach 350, CH-2542 Pieterlen, Switzerland. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - Fax: 3761727 - e-mail: publicity@peterlang.com - Internet: http: //http://www.peterlang.de ). "CeGE-Schriften des Zentrums für Globalisierung und Europäisierung der Wirtschaft Georg-August-Universität Göttingen" series, No. 10. 2005, 382 pp. ISBN 3-631-53399-3.
This doctoral thesis by a young German economist at Göttingen University looks at the impact of enlargement of the European Union on EU policies. Götz Zeddies empirically and quantitatively applies a series of models, theories and methods, including the new political economy theory, games and cluster analysis to social policy, environment policy, the Common Agricultural Policy, foreign relations and trade policy. The author concludes that three big clusters of Member States have similar interests which crystallise in the policy areas examined, but the coalitions (clusters) will not be identical for all policies, and even qmv decisions will need to be supported by countries from all groups. Zeddies argues it is unlikely that any group of Member States will totally lose influence, despite the growing heterogeneity of political and economic interests in the European Union. A particularly interesting study, with various detailed indicators in annex.
(PB)
*** SYLVIA KRITZINGER, IRINA MICHALOWITZ: Party Position Changes through EU Membership? The (Non-)Europeanisation of Austrian, Finnish and Swedish Political Parties. Institut für Höhere Studien (56 Stumpergasse, A-1060 Vienna. Tel: (43-1) 59991-237 - Fax: 59991-555 - e-mail: library@ihs.ac.at - Internet: http://www.ihs.ac.at ). "Reihe Politikwissenschaft - Political Science Series", No. 103. 2005, 34 pp, €6. Annual subscription: €40.
This publication looks at how political parties change their views when a country joins the European Union, with research into changes in the three countries that joined the EU in 1995, namely Austria, Finland and Sweden. The book stresses the often underestimated importance of European elections for national political parties, and connections between the Left/Right divide and being pro or anti-Europe.
(FRo)
*** ALEC STONE SWEET: European Integration and the Legal System. Institut für Höhere Studien (see above). "Political Science" series, No. 101. 2005, 68 pp, €6. Annual subscription €40.
This rather abstract study looks at the role of the European legal system in European integration and the constitutional process. It analyses the mechanisms leading to market integration and political integration on the one hand, and the role of the legal system, particularly the European Court of Justice, as building bricks in the constitutionalising and integration of Europe on the other.
(FRo)
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following document:
*** RDT Info. DG Research, Information and Communications Unit (Tel: (32-2) 2959971 - Fax: 2958220 - e-mail: research@cec.eu.int). May 2005, No. 45, 40 pp.
Scientific research is of vital importance to the future of the EU, hence the Commission has decided to double its budget under the 7th Framework Programme, explains Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik in an interview with RDT Info. There is an article on the broad outlines of the new Framework Programme and a big article on textiles, once a flourishing European industry and still employing 2.5 million people in the EU but being steadily eroded under the impact of strong competition from Asia. In order to survive, it has to go for innovation, particularly the new technical textiles. Other articles look at ecological economics and women in prison.
*** 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 ). May 2005, Nos. 129 & 130, 16 pp, €32. Annual subscription: €867.85.
The 129th issue of Liaisons Sociales Europe looks at the disagreement between the European Commission and the European Parliament over opting out of the working time directive, the popularity of the French social model with the French workforce, and the draft directive on cross-border mergers. It also focusses on public employment services in Sweden. Issue 130 looks at the danger of European social legislation being put on the back-burner during the British Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the dangerous nature of the new 'insertion contract' in Italy. The review also looks at ethical investment by British pension funds, and a study of working time revealing huge differences between the UK and new EU Member States in Eastern Europe, on the one hand, and most of the old Member States on the other.
*** Provincia informa. Provincia di Torino (12 via Maria Vittoria, I-10123 Turin. Tel: (39-11) 8612465 - Fax: 8612790 - e-mail: progetti_europei@provincia.torino.it - Internet: http://www.provincia.torino.it/europa/provincia_informa/index.htm ). April 2005, No. 2, 24 pp.
The province of Turin publishes this wonderfully laid out magazine (in Italian) for its inhabitants. It summarises big European issues of the moment, with this issue reporting on the Spring European Council and its negotiations of the Stability Pact, the Lisbon Strategy and the Bolkestein Directive. This is followed by articles on the rehashed Lisbon Strategy and the new Cohesion Policy for 2007-2013, along with its instruments and targets. While still connected with Europe, other articles have more direct links with the Piedmont region, like its involvement in "Green Public Procurement" and the work (and change of name) of the local Info Point.
*** Dokumente. Gesellschaft für übernationale Zusammenarbeit e.V. (86 Dottendorfer Straße, D-53129 Bonn. Tel. (Editorial): (49-2) 289239805 - Fax (editorial): 28690385 - e-mail: kontakt@guez-dokumente.org - Internet: http://www.guez-dokumente.org ). June 2005, No.3, 144 pp, €4.50. Annual subscription: €18-90.
The central article of Dokumente looks at the French 'no' vote in the referendum on the European Constitution, studying its connections with internal French politics and its implications as a backlash against Jacques Chirac, following his harsh criticism of Brussels and slamming of European ultra-free trade ideas compared with the traditional French model. Two other articles look at the European project in the light of the debate in France on the Constitution and the connections between Europe and French social malaise. There are also several articles on fifty years of Franco-German cooperation in CERFA/IFRI. Other articles look at education, integration and the fall-out of French nuclear testing.
Review in Brief
*** Newsletter. King Baudouin Foundation. Spring /Summer 2005, Brussels. A newsletter on the activities of Belgium's King Baudouin Foundation. ***Asia - Pacific. Jiji Gaho Sha Inc. May 2005, Tokyo. This issue looks at Japanese NGOs at home and overseas.