THE DETAINED INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN EU REINFORCE NATIONAL POPULISM
Borislav Gradinarov*
The fiftieth anniversary of EU is itself a remarkable event. First, because history has witnessed few acts comparable to the Roman Treaty, having an “open” structure, without being a convention as defined by the international public law. Secondly, it permits further development through successive treaties, while not limiting the processes of integration to the original subject-matter. Last but not least, it provides a system of rules and norms for the joint functioning of political, economic, social and cultural systems of 27 states different in many respects. The problem which arises is: what is coming next?
I believe that one serious obstacle confronting us in the near future is:
the insufficiency of the legal framework concerning treaties.
In its integrity EU achieves growing influence as economic, trade and political actor. But on the international stage it is still in quest for its own identity. The reason is the specific twofold role of the union of these 27 member states. In its current legal framework EU still props up against two seemingly uncombinable principles – the process of integration which goes beyond national boundaries and the intergovernmental agreements. Exactly this already attained compromise is the reason for the lacking clearly outlined EU identity and for its evidently distinct nature from all known hitherto unions, blocks, pacts, confederations, federations, etc.
In certain cases this feature could be perceived as a disadvantage. In one respect, EU possesses no financial independence and proper budget, since all expenditures are undertaken either by the budget of the communities or by the member states. In another, EU lacks its own legal identity, which makes it act either through the communities, which are incorporated legally or by means of international agreements between member states. This fact poses more and more sharply the question about the legal foundation, which would be able to rationalize the institutions and to legitimize the union as an unified legal entity. The tracing of a possible way to the acceptance of unified legal-organizational instrument therefore is not only question of completing of the processes of integration but also of laying down stability and predictability. In such a sense EU could not manage without unified legal framework no matter if we call it European constitution or super-treaty. This is a task of paramount significance.
Delaying this process may have negative consequences for the internal political and social issues, especially in Central and South Europe. The reason is that almost all of these states possess historical heritage, which along with the complex and unclear decision rules, created by the European institutions. This leads to
reinforcement of national populism.
It is motley crue of political movements, which could be encountered in almost all member states as well as in France, Italy, Austria, Netherlands. Such movements are gaining strength in the new member states – Hungary, Poland, Czechs Republic, Slovak Republic, Bulgaria, Romania. They take advantage from the difficulties facing the process of integration, the unemployment issue related to the flow of immigrants from the poorer states and regions, the non-transparent mechanisms of distribution of finances and quotas among the member states. National populism is a manner of thinking and practical politics, focused on the suggestion that the interests of the “ordinary man” and “the people” are neglected, oppressed, ignored by the political elite, incapable to cope with the actual problems. The conclusion is that “new individuals” should assume power, who would serve the people or the country and would not fulfill faithfully the directives of Brussels, giving up the national interests.
Such conceptions may look strange but they must not be neglected. They are significant threat, ensuing from the fact that using real problems they propose decisions, which seem like a remedy but in fact are time bomb secretly placed in the outtresses of European unity.
* Borislav Gradinarov is Professor at the Institute for Philosophical Research, Bulgarian Academy of Science.
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