EuropeastheWould-beWorldPower:TheEUatFifty

ForfiftyyearsEuropeanintegrationhasbeenpursuedaccordingtoanoperationalcodebasedonruleswhichhaveneverbeenpubliclydiscussed.Thisbookdemonstratesthefar-reachingconsequencesoftheprioritisationofintegrationovercompetingvalues,faitaccompliandotherimplicitrulesofaction.Thewillingnesstosacrificedemocracyonthealtarofintegrationisdemonstratedbythemonopolyoflegislativeinitiativegrantedtothenon-electedCommission.Monetaryunionpreceding,ratherthanfollowing,politicalintegrationisastrikingexampleoffaitaccompli,andthereasonbehindmanyholesintheEUsystemofeconomicgovernance.Untilnow,academicshaveavoidedradicalcriticism;GiandomenicoMajonearguesthatonlyanopenacknowledgementoftheobsolescenceofthetraditionalmethodscanstemtherisingtideofEuro-scepticism.