Slide for a lecture by Alon van Dam on the European Union for the Israeli Debating League and members of the Liberal Debate Club.

1. EUROPEAN UNION 101 By: Alon van Dam
On: 25.07.2019

2. AGENDA
EU – History
EU – Institutions
EU – Politics

3. CAVEATS
Very high-level
Oversimplification
EU has exceptions for everything.
Bias

4. 1. HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN
UNION

5. GOALS
Principles of the EU
Background: EU / UK relations
Background: Rule of Law issues
Background: Economic issues

6. EU TIMELINE
1952: European Coal & Steel Community
1957/9: European Economic Community
1973: Enlargement #1: UK & Friends
1981/1986: Enlargement #2: Southern Expansion
1992: European Union
1995: Enlargement #3: Neutral Countries
2004: Enlargement #4: Eastern Expansion
2007: Lisbon Treaty

7. EUROPE PRE-1945

8. 1952 – EUROPEAN COAL & STEEL COMMUNITY
Goal: peace through trade.
Why did they join?
 NL & DE – competitive coal & steel
 BE – competitive steel, bad coal
 LX – economic union with BE
 FR & IT – needed coal & steel
Why no UK?
 Nationalized coal
 Trade with US & Commonwealth

9. 1957 – EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
-Treaty of Rome

10. SOME CONCEPTS
Free Trade Area: No internal obstacles to trade.
Customs Union: Single external tariff.
Common Market: Four Freedoms
Goods
Capital
Labor
Services
Economic Union: Common macroeconomic policies.

11. 1973 – BRITAIN JOINS THE EU
UK economic & political realities
shifted post-war.
UK tried to join in 1961,
rejected.
Joins in 1973: has to pay into the
CAP.
Lobbied for Common Market in
1983.

12. 1992 – EUROPEAN UNION
Maastricht Treaty forms European Union
Sets up European Monetary Union (later: Euro)
 Inflation: Max 1.5% over lowest.
 Deficit: Max 3% of GDP.
 Debt: Max 60% of GDP.
 Interest: Max 2% over lowest.
Sets up Common Foreign & Security Policy
Sets up Cooperation in Justice & Home Affairs
Replaced by 2007 Lisbon Treaty

13. COPENHAGEN CRITERIA
Political
 Democracy
 Rule of Law
 Human Rights
 Protection of Minorities
Economic
 Market Economy
 Maastricht Criteria
Legislative:
 Adopt EU Law, Acquis
Communautaire

14. FRICTIONS
Widening vs. Deepening
Common perception: widening
prevents deepening.
Econ. Strong vs. Weak States
Strong feel that weak are
freeloaders.
Weak feel oppressed & abused
by strong.

15. HISTORY - TAKEAWAYS
Purpose: Peace.
Method: Economic interdependence.
Tension between Widening & Deepening
Tension between Rich/Poor, Strong/Weak
UK & EU: starting off on the wrong foot

16. 2. EU INSTITUTIONS

17. “Who do I call if I
want to call Europe?”
-Henry Kissinger

18. GOALS
How does the EU work?
How is EU law made?
How democratic is the EU?
Who’s in charge?

19. AGENDA
1. High-level overview of EU institutions
2. Appointment & election of institutions
3. Deep dive
4. How EU Laws are passed
5. Frictions

20. 2.1 HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW
The EU has 7 institutions:
 Executive
 European Council – compare to Presidency & Council of State
 European Commission – compare to Prime Minister & Cabinet
 Legislative
 Council of the European Union – compare to Senate / Lords
 European Parliament – compare to House of Reps / Commons
 Judicial
 Court of Justice of the EU – compare to Supreme Court
 Other
 European Central Bank – compare to Central Bank
 Court of Auditors

21. 2.2 APPOINTMENT / ELECTION

22. 2.3.1 EUROPEAN COUNCIL
Membership: 28 Heads of State/Government
President: Donald Tusk → Charles Michel
Voting: QMV QMV: 55% of countries, 65% population
Responsibilities:
 Sets EU policy agenda, “impetus and direction”
 Appoints High Representative.
 Appoints President of ECB.
 Proposes President of Commission.
 Sometimes political power, “emergency brake”
 Representation abroad, “collective Head of State”

23. 2.3.2 EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Membership: 28 Commissioners (1 + 7 + 20)
President: J-C Juncker → Ursula von der Leyen
Voting: Consensus / Simple Majority
Responsibilities:
 Day-to-day executive.
 Initiates legislation.
 Adopts Decisions (similar to Executive Orders).
 Implements policy.
 Administers & disburses the EU Budget.
 Administers executive agencies.
Tidbits: 32,000 bureaucrats, Berlaymont building.

24. 2.3.3 COUNCIL OF THE EU
Membership: 28 relevant ministers
 Depends on subject-matter, like agriculture or education.
President: Finland, rotates every 6 months.
Voting: QMV / Consensus
 4 countries representing 35% of population can block.
 Issues of sovereignty: don’t need EP, needs unanimity.
Responsibilities:
 Legislative power.
 Budgetary power.
 Common Foreign & Security Policy (CFSP).
 Joint Actions & Common Positions
 Usually: co-decision with Parliament.

25. 2.3.4 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Membership: 751 MEPs
President: David Sassoli (S&D)
Seat: Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg
Voting: Simple / Absolute Majority
Responsibilities:
 Legislative power.
 No approval needed on certain issues.
 Budgetary power: before & after spending.
 Elects European Commission.
 Oversight over Commission (no-confidence vote)
 Usually: co-decision with Parliament.

26. 2.3.4 EP – POLITICAL GROUPS
European People’s Party - 182
 Christian Democrats, e.g. CDU
Socialists & Democrats - 154
 Social Democrats, e.g. Labour, SPD
Renew Europe - 108
 Liberals, e.g. LibDems, En Marche
Greens - 74
 Greens, e.g. DE Greens, UK Greens
Identity & Democracy - 73
 Eurosceptics, e.g. La Liga, Le Pen
Conservatives (ECR) - 62
 Conservatives, e.g. Tories, Law & Justice
United Left - Nordic Green Left - 41
 Hard Left, e.g. Syriza, Die Linke
‘Non-Inscrits’ - 57

27. 2.3.5 OTHER INSTITUTIONS
European Court of Justice
 Court of Justice: 28 justices.
 Interpretation of EU law.
 Settle disputes between EU institution.
 Can fine member states.
European Central Bank
 Monetary policy of Eurozone.
 Mario Draghi → Christine Lagarde.
Court of Auditors
 Review budget.
 Never, ever approved one.

28. 2.4 PASSING OF EU LAW
Ordinary Legislative Procedure
Initiative: European Commission
 Can be requested by other institutions.
 Can be requested by popular demand.
Co-Decision of Parliament & Council
Regulation Directive Decision
Binding on all
Defined ‘how’
Needs EP & Council

29. 2.5 INHERENT FRICTIONS
Democratic Deficit
Parliament vs. European Council
Member States blame EU
National Interest vs. EU Interest
Difficulty to make decisions

30. WHO DO YOU CALL?
Nobody knows.

31. INSTITUTIONS - TAKEAWAYS
European Council: National
Leaders
Commission: Executive
Parliament & Council: Bicameral
Legislature
Complex system of making laws
encourages scapegoating.

32. 3. EU POLITICS & CURRENT EVENTS

33. GOALS
The challenge of populism
What’s happening in Hungary & Poland?
What’s happening with Brexit?
Where next for the EU?

34. AGENDA
1. Euroscepticism
2. Visegrad Group
3. Brexit
4. New Parliament & Commission
5. Future

35. 3.1 EUROSCEPTICISM
Populism
Society vs. Elites
Politics as expression of general
will
Need for binding element
Migration Crisis
EU useful scapegoat

36. 3.1 EUROSCEPTICISM: MIGRATION CRISIS

37. 3.1 EUROSCEPTICS IN NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS
Share of Eurosceptics in latest elections:
Italy: Liga & 5Star – 70%
Latvia: KPV, NA & ZZS – 35%
Austria: FPO – 26%
Sweden: SD – 18%
Netherlands: PVV & FvD – 15%
Germany: AfD – 13%

38. 3.2 VISEGRAD GROUP
Alliance of
Hungary
Poland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
United in fight against communism,
reignited recently.

39. 3.2 HUNGARY
Viktor Orban – Fidesz.
Elected in 2010
Constitution amended in 2013 & soon.
2014: “Illiberal Democracy”
Consolidation of media
Expulsion of NGOs
Attacking minorities.
60% of tenders: 1 bidder

40. 3.2 POLAND
Law and Justice party
De facto led by Jarosław Kaczyński
Elected in 2015
Constitution amended in 2015
Weakening of supreme court.
Directly appointing court by executive.

41. 3.2 ISSUES IN DEALING WITH RULE OF LAW
Article 7 of the EU Treaty:
Allows the EU to remove voting
power of member states.
Requires consensus.
Illiberal states back each other
up.

42. 3.3 BREXIT
Recap:
 EU/UK relations fraught from the beginning.
 UK feels they were taken advantage of by UK
Cameron promised referendum.
Referendum:
 Take Back Control
 Migration
 Money to NHS
 Ending EU regulations
 Ending ECJ oversight
2016 referendum: 52% - 48%

43. 3.3 BREXIT
Irish border issue
What’s a backstop?
Commons against
everything.
Result: Johnson PM.
What’s next?

44. 3.4 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
European People’s Party – 182 (-34)
Socialists & Democrats – 154 (-31)
Renew Europe – 108 (+39)
Greens – 74 (+22)
Identity & Democracy - 73 (+37*)
 ID gained 37 seats, EFDD lost 42.
 5SM, Brexit, Golden Dawn, Jobbik NI
 Eurosceptics gained, somewhat.
Conservatives (ECR) – 62 (-15)
Nordic Green Left – 41(-11)
‘Non-Inscrits’ – 57 (+37)

45. 3.4 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS

46. 3.4 FORMING A NEW COMMISSION
Promised: “Spitzenkandidat”
 EPP: Manfred Weber
 S&D: Frans Timmermans
 ALDE: Margrethe Verstagen
Results: Everyone won but lost.
 Macron blocked Weber
 Merkel blocked Verstager
 Visegrad4 blocked Timmermans
Ergo: Backroom talks

47. 3.4 VON DER LEYEN COMMISSION

48. 3.4 VON DER LEYEN COMMISSION
Von der Leyen: highly unpopular
 German Social Democrats
 Greens
 European Parliament in general
Had to promise many things:
 Power of initiative to European Parliament.
 Restoring Spitzenkandidaten.
 Ambitious climate goals.
 EU where “nobody’s perfect”