Transcript European Union The European Union

Introduction to Political Science (IRE 101)
Week 11
International Institutions and Global
Governance
European Union
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The European Union (EU) represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries.
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It is hard to find another object that has so big bureaucracy and institutions that interact with
each other in so intense way.
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The European project has delivered the longest stretch of peace in Europe in modern history.
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Laboratory to test many different theories.
The European Union: 500 million people – 28 countries
European Union
SOME CRITICAL POINTS:
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It is more a convenience than a conviction. Lacks ideological passion and the civic loyalty.
‘Brexit’ – unwillingness to be ruled from Brussels.
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Too passive regarding international security and many other global issues. Admired as a
political model, ridiculed as an actor on global stage.
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Nation-states have not just given up part of their sovereignty to the European Union but also
part of their vision for their own future.
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On many issues, there doesn’t really exist a unified European strategic approach.
EU: Brexit
LEAVE:
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Britain is held back by Europe: unshackled, it could soar as an open economy. It can reach
trade deals with other important countries like China, India and America.
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EU - a monstrous superstate, bent on crushing British liberties. Sovereignty gradually eroded.
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UK overrun by EU migrants and there is little the government can do to stop them. If Britain
left the union, it could.
STAY:
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Outside the EU, Britain would have no say in setting its rules. Yet it would still need to
comply with most of them in order to access the single market.
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Relationships with crucial allies, like the United States, could also be jeopardized.
Future of EU
What happens to UK outside of Europe? Does this trigger other
countries (France, Italy, Austria) to leave the union?
Freedom of Movement. Can Europe remain open borders in times of
mass migration and unemployment?
Can Europe form a unifying EU foreign policy?
NATO
Military or defense alliance formed in 1949 by 12 countries
in Western Europe and North America.
Original purpose – to protect its members from a possible
attack from the Soviet Union.
NATO Historically
First peacetime alliance in U.S. history. America really pushed European’s to work and come
together. It was not willing to put man power if Europeans could not solve their own
problems. America was non-committal at first wanting to see what the Europeans are going
to do.
US Congress did not want the Article 5 - automatic guarantee to protect Europe. It wanted to
remain the sole arbiter of when to declare war.
Initially the US thought that the creation of NATO would undercut United Nations. At first
UN was the main instruments that the US sought to deal with security issues.
The Dutch wanted its colonies covered - Indonesia. Belgians asked if the Congo could be in
the perimeter. Americans were terrified about this idea. There were huge debates about
article nr 5. Americans at the start wanted 10 year treaty. It wasn’t meant to last.
NATO purpose
NATO’s essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through
political and military means.
POLITICAL - NATO promotes democratic values and encourages consultation and cooperation
on defence and security issues to build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.
MILITARY - NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail,
it has the military capacity needed to undertake crisis-management operations. These are carried
out under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - NATO’s founding treaty - or under a UN mandate,
alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.
NATO Operations
Crisis management operations and missions
Afghanistan
Kosovo
Darfur (Sudan)
Iraq
Balkans
Civil emergency planning
Refugee crises
Forest fires
earthquakes, etc.
Floods
NATO
As democracy spread throughout Eastern Europe, NATO added
new members.
1999 – Three former Warsaw Pact members were admitted into
NATO: Poland, Hungary, The Czech Republic.
2002 – Seven former communist states in Eastern Europe added.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria.
Crises in Ukraine – reversal of the expansion trend.
NATO:
Some Critical points
Not equal burden sharing between allies. Only five members meet that
benchmark: the U.S., Great Britain, Greece, Estonia and Poland.
‘Out of area threats’ – cover for Euro-Atlantic ambitions, regime change.
Things might look different from Moscow. Potential as being seen as an
aggressor.
Trump: "I think NATO is obsolete. NATO was done at a time you had the
Soviet Union, which was obviously larger - much larger - than Russia is today."