European Societies
Sarah Marchal and Ive Marx
Lecture 1 – The European project:
some of the good, the bad and the ugly
The purpose of the course is to consider some of the main issues and challenges facing European
Societies today. We look at how countries are dealing with these challenges, at the national level, and
also at the supranational level, with particular attention to the European Union, its actual and
potential role. Three types of questions in the exam:
- Explain concepts and terms used in the various lectures and key texts (8/20). 8 concepts and
the definition: what is frontex, what is the EU directive, why the EU.
- Analytical question pertaining to one of the lectures (6/20). A figure, graph or a text that
improve the inside and imagination.
- Discussion question pertaining to one the lectures (6/20). Pay attention to what is happening
in the world.
In the first lecture, we discuss how the European Union project emerge, what have been
accomplishments, what the big challenges are and the focus of today ant the fundamental design
flaw in the European Union project.
A short introduction of the history:
- Antwerp in 1944. Teniersplaats (Opera) after German bombing, end of the WO2. 80 yrs ago.
Antwerp was an important target because of the strategic location.
- Word II War in hole Europe in 1945, in Berlijn, Italië, Frankrijk, België en NL. Many places
looked like total damage and people did live in concentration camps where many people
including children get murdered (boy with the striped pyjama).
- 75 years later…… Refugees that want to get to Europe, very hazardous journey. Entire families
on this boat. Very dangerous. The boots are overcrowded. Peoples with kids. Very dangerous.
A lot of people get killed and a lot of people are pushed back by coast guards.
Spanish territory from Africa people. People are still
desperate to entire the EU. They do everything to enter the
EU and to making it from the boat or other borders.
Because it is an attractive place to go to.
, - But how do we get from the first to the last picture? It can be called THE EUROPEAN UNION.
Relatively recent entity. Large areas of Europe had previously been united by empires such as:
the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Frankish Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire,
the First French Empire, Nazi Germany.
More peaceful consolidation of European territories provided by dynastic unions. And
country-level unions, such as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Austro-Hungarian
Empire.
Roman empire 2000 yrs ago very huge place going from Scotland, Spain, North Africa, parts of
Asia. It was huge. With common language, common currency. Real entity. Romans were the first to
construct roads. This didn’t last, as we know from history. A network of roads and provinces.
Napolean was important for making roads, but also important for laws.
European Union is a recent thing after the first world word.
The pictures concludes that there was a lot of hate to people from the EU.
Beginnings after WWII
End of the Second World War left Europe divided between the communist, Soviet dominated, eastern
bloc, and the largely democratic western nations. Fears over what direction a rebuilt Germany would
take, perceived need to bind Germany into pan-European democratic institutions. Expansion of the
communist east. Communists were nationalists, they want to promote and forward the interests of
the working class. The working class has to unite against capitalism. The important thing was that the
workers unite to the capitalism. Fascism Altiero Spinelli wrote this in ‘for a free and united europe’.
How did it start:
War had left Europe exhausted, with industry greatly damaged. A lot of rebuilding to rebuild new
structures. Six neighboring countries agreed in The Treaty of Paris to form an area of free trade for
several key resources including coal, steel and iron ore, chosen for their key role in industry and the
military. European Coal and Steel Community and involved Germany, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy
and Luxembourg. They imported products from each other to build up a new industry. It began on 23
July 1952 and ended on 23 July 2002, replaced by further unions.
It was not smart to compete for the country or coal. So, let’s have a free trade of coal, steel and iron
ore. It is easy for the French to buy German steel or to import coal from Italy. Instead of competing,
they want to work together, and this is the beginning of the Europe.
Ursula van der Leyden: chairwoman of the European commission.
Managing beginnings after WWII:
To manage the ECSC (the free trade of goods), a group of ‘supranational’ (a level of governance above
the nation state) bodies were created to legislate, develop ideas and resolve disputes:
- Council of Ministers,
- Common Assembly,
- Court of Justice,
- from these key bodies the later EU would emerge
They have to meet in to discuss problems and to talk about prices from the trades from coal, steel
and iron ore. Success of the ECSC led to the member nations signing two new treaties in 1957, both
called the treaty of Rome. Created two new bodies: the European Atomic Energy Community
(Euratom), and the European Economic Community. This EEC created a common market among the
member nations, with no tariffs or impediments to the flow of labour and goods. Other stuff; cars
and finishing products. Also to make labour more mobile.
,It started with the free trade of coal, steel and iron ore and it was extended to other products like
cars and finishing product, but also to make labour more mobile. Because of the success.
In the past, you had borders and border control. It was not allowed to go to another country in the
EU without showing identity papers. It was necessary to take your ID with you.
The European Economic Community (ECC) created in 1970 a full free trade in Europe.
Franco regime in Spain
Ukraine is pressing to become a
European Union member. Then they will
be in a stronger position. As part of a
political entity. A huge political will to be
an EU member.
It increased in size but also in intensity of
cooperation. From free trade to having a
common currency (introduction of the
euro, before this there was Belgische
frank and German marks).
Now, you can see it with Ukraine. They will be part of the EU to have a better position.
• Treaty on European Union, (the Maastricht Treaty) came into force on 1 November 1993 and
changed the EEC into the newly named European Union.
• Broadened the work of the supranational bodies, based around three “pillars”:
• Involvement in the domestic affairs of member nations on “justice and home affairs” (and for
that reason it only narrowly passed in France and forced a vote in the UK).
• Single European currency created (plus conditions for membership).
• In 1995 Sweden, Austria and Finland join.
• ‘Schengen’ agreement gradually allows people to travel without having their passports
checked at the borders.
• 1997 Stability and Growth Pact.
• In 1999 the Treaty of Amsterdam brings employment, working and living conditions into the
EU remit.
• 1 January 1999: Introduction of the Euro. You don’t have to change your money and pay a fee
in the European zone.
• Ten nations joined in 2004 (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and two in 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania). It was an opportunity
for countries which were very poor with massive unemployment to enter the EU because of
the opportunity to work in other countries.
• By this time there had been agreements to apply majority voting to more issues, but national
vetoes remained on tax, security and other issues.
Economic and expansion.
Lisbon Treaty the Convention on the Future of Europe was created in 2002 to create an
EU constitution, and the draft, signed in 2004, aimed to install a permanent EU president, a Foreign
Minister and a Charter of Rights. It was rejected in 2005, when France and the Netherlands failed to
ratify it (and before other EU members got the chance to vote). An amended work, the Lisbon Treaty,
was signed in 2007 but was initially rejected, this time by voters in Ireland. However, in 2009 Irish
, voters passed the treaty. By the winter 2009 all 27 EU states had ratified the process, and it took
effect. Herman Van Rompuy became the first ‘President of the European Council’
The goods - Life expectancy, GDP, democracy, peace:
Political and economic system matters for the life expectancy at birth. Good qualities of a political and
economic system create a healthier life. Also, the goods we use and the economic increase by good
political and economic systems. Communism vs capitalism.
The EU is also good for the democracy.
And we also have peace for 70 years now.
The bads - Major challenges:
• Persistent unemployment, including youth unemployment.
• Distrust of “Europe” reclaims of national sovereignty.
• Migration pressures, from outside and inside.
• Little progress on poverty and social fronts. There are still a lot of people that left behind.
• Ageing, lack of innovation & major players in new economy enterprises.
• Continued financial vulnerability.
Borrowed time EU in comparison to Asia (economically doing a lot better). If you compare us to the
US and Asia, these regions are doing better. We are not the only rich region anymore and some will
be doing better. Europe is not playing a role in the big firms (Google, Facebook).
Fundamental design error in the EU???
Economically we are unified through Euro for example, but the European union is still very diverse
(culture, working of economy, value, fiscal and social security systems). We have free movement of
people, goods, services, capital, ardently guarded by the European Commission & European Court of
Justice. Euro countries have common currency, common interest rates. But still *very* diverse fiscal &
social systems, labour market regulation and wage setting, on top of immense variation in economic
and social circumstances. Languages, values, fiscal systems do not quite match. And no structural
solidarity mechanisms to match = how long can we maintain this fundamental tension? This is going
to end in tears.
Economic and social diversity across EU: Comparison with the US. Europe
remains a very diverse place. GDP per capita: what can they actually buy for their Euro, Euro may buy
you more Italy than in France. Because Italy is cheaper. Also, big differences with the United States,
but not as big as in Europe. In Belgium, we are good in different languages f.e. in French or English.
But in Spain, there are less people that are fluent in English. Main language is English in the US.
Everything is blue. Dominant language is blue. But in New Mexico f.e. Spanish.
Europe is a very divers place. Many differences between countries in living standards, languages,
economic positions, GDP, unemployment and the size of countries compared to other regions.
Institutional and policy diversity: At the same time, there are differences between
institutions. For example, the labour market regulation: rules about hiring or firing. Very different
economic realities combined with very different institutions and policies produce very diverse
outcomes. Only “coordination” of major policy domains through “soft law”: the Open Method of
Coordination. Yet a currency union with one currency, one central bank and one set of interest rates.
And *very* limited mechanisms for cross-country levelling and balancing. Also, unemployment
insurance where you get a benefit when you are unemployment, we have very different systems. In
some countries, nobody gets an insurance.
Ook het minumumloon en BTW kan verschillen per land in Europa.
Sarah Marchal and Ive Marx
Lecture 1 – The European project:
some of the good, the bad and the ugly
The purpose of the course is to consider some of the main issues and challenges facing European
Societies today. We look at how countries are dealing with these challenges, at the national level, and
also at the supranational level, with particular attention to the European Union, its actual and
potential role. Three types of questions in the exam:
- Explain concepts and terms used in the various lectures and key texts (8/20). 8 concepts and
the definition: what is frontex, what is the EU directive, why the EU.
- Analytical question pertaining to one of the lectures (6/20). A figure, graph or a text that
improve the inside and imagination.
- Discussion question pertaining to one the lectures (6/20). Pay attention to what is happening
in the world.
In the first lecture, we discuss how the European Union project emerge, what have been
accomplishments, what the big challenges are and the focus of today ant the fundamental design
flaw in the European Union project.
A short introduction of the history:
- Antwerp in 1944. Teniersplaats (Opera) after German bombing, end of the WO2. 80 yrs ago.
Antwerp was an important target because of the strategic location.
- Word II War in hole Europe in 1945, in Berlijn, Italië, Frankrijk, België en NL. Many places
looked like total damage and people did live in concentration camps where many people
including children get murdered (boy with the striped pyjama).
- 75 years later…… Refugees that want to get to Europe, very hazardous journey. Entire families
on this boat. Very dangerous. The boots are overcrowded. Peoples with kids. Very dangerous.
A lot of people get killed and a lot of people are pushed back by coast guards.
Spanish territory from Africa people. People are still
desperate to entire the EU. They do everything to enter the
EU and to making it from the boat or other borders.
Because it is an attractive place to go to.
, - But how do we get from the first to the last picture? It can be called THE EUROPEAN UNION.
Relatively recent entity. Large areas of Europe had previously been united by empires such as:
the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Frankish Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire,
the First French Empire, Nazi Germany.
More peaceful consolidation of European territories provided by dynastic unions. And
country-level unions, such as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Austro-Hungarian
Empire.
Roman empire 2000 yrs ago very huge place going from Scotland, Spain, North Africa, parts of
Asia. It was huge. With common language, common currency. Real entity. Romans were the first to
construct roads. This didn’t last, as we know from history. A network of roads and provinces.
Napolean was important for making roads, but also important for laws.
European Union is a recent thing after the first world word.
The pictures concludes that there was a lot of hate to people from the EU.
Beginnings after WWII
End of the Second World War left Europe divided between the communist, Soviet dominated, eastern
bloc, and the largely democratic western nations. Fears over what direction a rebuilt Germany would
take, perceived need to bind Germany into pan-European democratic institutions. Expansion of the
communist east. Communists were nationalists, they want to promote and forward the interests of
the working class. The working class has to unite against capitalism. The important thing was that the
workers unite to the capitalism. Fascism Altiero Spinelli wrote this in ‘for a free and united europe’.
How did it start:
War had left Europe exhausted, with industry greatly damaged. A lot of rebuilding to rebuild new
structures. Six neighboring countries agreed in The Treaty of Paris to form an area of free trade for
several key resources including coal, steel and iron ore, chosen for their key role in industry and the
military. European Coal and Steel Community and involved Germany, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy
and Luxembourg. They imported products from each other to build up a new industry. It began on 23
July 1952 and ended on 23 July 2002, replaced by further unions.
It was not smart to compete for the country or coal. So, let’s have a free trade of coal, steel and iron
ore. It is easy for the French to buy German steel or to import coal from Italy. Instead of competing,
they want to work together, and this is the beginning of the Europe.
Ursula van der Leyden: chairwoman of the European commission.
Managing beginnings after WWII:
To manage the ECSC (the free trade of goods), a group of ‘supranational’ (a level of governance above
the nation state) bodies were created to legislate, develop ideas and resolve disputes:
- Council of Ministers,
- Common Assembly,
- Court of Justice,
- from these key bodies the later EU would emerge
They have to meet in to discuss problems and to talk about prices from the trades from coal, steel
and iron ore. Success of the ECSC led to the member nations signing two new treaties in 1957, both
called the treaty of Rome. Created two new bodies: the European Atomic Energy Community
(Euratom), and the European Economic Community. This EEC created a common market among the
member nations, with no tariffs or impediments to the flow of labour and goods. Other stuff; cars
and finishing products. Also to make labour more mobile.
,It started with the free trade of coal, steel and iron ore and it was extended to other products like
cars and finishing product, but also to make labour more mobile. Because of the success.
In the past, you had borders and border control. It was not allowed to go to another country in the
EU without showing identity papers. It was necessary to take your ID with you.
The European Economic Community (ECC) created in 1970 a full free trade in Europe.
Franco regime in Spain
Ukraine is pressing to become a
European Union member. Then they will
be in a stronger position. As part of a
political entity. A huge political will to be
an EU member.
It increased in size but also in intensity of
cooperation. From free trade to having a
common currency (introduction of the
euro, before this there was Belgische
frank and German marks).
Now, you can see it with Ukraine. They will be part of the EU to have a better position.
• Treaty on European Union, (the Maastricht Treaty) came into force on 1 November 1993 and
changed the EEC into the newly named European Union.
• Broadened the work of the supranational bodies, based around three “pillars”:
• Involvement in the domestic affairs of member nations on “justice and home affairs” (and for
that reason it only narrowly passed in France and forced a vote in the UK).
• Single European currency created (plus conditions for membership).
• In 1995 Sweden, Austria and Finland join.
• ‘Schengen’ agreement gradually allows people to travel without having their passports
checked at the borders.
• 1997 Stability and Growth Pact.
• In 1999 the Treaty of Amsterdam brings employment, working and living conditions into the
EU remit.
• 1 January 1999: Introduction of the Euro. You don’t have to change your money and pay a fee
in the European zone.
• Ten nations joined in 2004 (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and two in 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania). It was an opportunity
for countries which were very poor with massive unemployment to enter the EU because of
the opportunity to work in other countries.
• By this time there had been agreements to apply majority voting to more issues, but national
vetoes remained on tax, security and other issues.
Economic and expansion.
Lisbon Treaty the Convention on the Future of Europe was created in 2002 to create an
EU constitution, and the draft, signed in 2004, aimed to install a permanent EU president, a Foreign
Minister and a Charter of Rights. It was rejected in 2005, when France and the Netherlands failed to
ratify it (and before other EU members got the chance to vote). An amended work, the Lisbon Treaty,
was signed in 2007 but was initially rejected, this time by voters in Ireland. However, in 2009 Irish
, voters passed the treaty. By the winter 2009 all 27 EU states had ratified the process, and it took
effect. Herman Van Rompuy became the first ‘President of the European Council’
The goods - Life expectancy, GDP, democracy, peace:
Political and economic system matters for the life expectancy at birth. Good qualities of a political and
economic system create a healthier life. Also, the goods we use and the economic increase by good
political and economic systems. Communism vs capitalism.
The EU is also good for the democracy.
And we also have peace for 70 years now.
The bads - Major challenges:
• Persistent unemployment, including youth unemployment.
• Distrust of “Europe” reclaims of national sovereignty.
• Migration pressures, from outside and inside.
• Little progress on poverty and social fronts. There are still a lot of people that left behind.
• Ageing, lack of innovation & major players in new economy enterprises.
• Continued financial vulnerability.
Borrowed time EU in comparison to Asia (economically doing a lot better). If you compare us to the
US and Asia, these regions are doing better. We are not the only rich region anymore and some will
be doing better. Europe is not playing a role in the big firms (Google, Facebook).
Fundamental design error in the EU???
Economically we are unified through Euro for example, but the European union is still very diverse
(culture, working of economy, value, fiscal and social security systems). We have free movement of
people, goods, services, capital, ardently guarded by the European Commission & European Court of
Justice. Euro countries have common currency, common interest rates. But still *very* diverse fiscal &
social systems, labour market regulation and wage setting, on top of immense variation in economic
and social circumstances. Languages, values, fiscal systems do not quite match. And no structural
solidarity mechanisms to match = how long can we maintain this fundamental tension? This is going
to end in tears.
Economic and social diversity across EU: Comparison with the US. Europe
remains a very diverse place. GDP per capita: what can they actually buy for their Euro, Euro may buy
you more Italy than in France. Because Italy is cheaper. Also, big differences with the United States,
but not as big as in Europe. In Belgium, we are good in different languages f.e. in French or English.
But in Spain, there are less people that are fluent in English. Main language is English in the US.
Everything is blue. Dominant language is blue. But in New Mexico f.e. Spanish.
Europe is a very divers place. Many differences between countries in living standards, languages,
economic positions, GDP, unemployment and the size of countries compared to other regions.
Institutional and policy diversity: At the same time, there are differences between
institutions. For example, the labour market regulation: rules about hiring or firing. Very different
economic realities combined with very different institutions and policies produce very diverse
outcomes. Only “coordination” of major policy domains through “soft law”: the Open Method of
Coordination. Yet a currency union with one currency, one central bank and one set of interest rates.
And *very* limited mechanisms for cross-country levelling and balancing. Also, unemployment
insurance where you get a benefit when you are unemployment, we have very different systems. In
some countries, nobody gets an insurance.
Ook het minumumloon en BTW kan verschillen per land in Europa.
