This insightful book assesses the theory of constitutional pluralism in light of the events of the Eurozone crisis of the past decade. Based on an analysis of how national courts reviewed the crisis response mechanisms and participated in the European-level political process, Tomi Tuominen argues that constitutional pluralism is not a valid normative theory of European constitutionalism.
Constitutional pluralism has become immensely popular among scholars who study European integration and issues of global governance. Some of them believe that constitutionalism, traditionally thought to be bound to a nation state, can emerge beyond state borders - most importantly in the process of European integration, but also beyond that, for example, in international regulatory regimes such as the WTO, or international systems of fundamental rights protection, such as the European Convention. At the same time, the idea of constitutional pluralism has not gone unchallenged. Some have questioned its compatibility with the very nature of law and the values which law brings to constitutionalism. The critiques have come from both sides: from those who believe in the 'traditional' European constitutionalism based on a hierarchically superior authority of the European Union as well as from scholars focusing on constitutions of particular states. The book collects contributions taking opposing perspectives on constitutional pluralism - some defending and promoting the concept of constitutional pluralism, some criticising and opposing it. While some authors can be called 'the founding fathers of constitutional pluralism', others are young academics who have recently entered the field. Together they offer fresh perspectives on both theoretical and practical aspects of constitutional pluralism, enriching our existing understanding of the concept in current scholarship.
A major collection of essays by a multidisciplinary panel of experts exploring the various interpretations of the European crisis and the future of the European Union.
For almost a decade the European Union has been stuck in a permanent crisis. Starting with domestic constitutional crises, followed by an imported financial crisis, it has evolved into a fully formed political crisis. This book argues that none of the crises are exclusively internal to the EU and the responses to date, which have taken inward looking approaches, are simply inadequate. Resolution can only come when the EU engages more fully with transnational law. This highly topical book offers an innovative dual focus on both transnational and EU law together. It sets out the relationship between the two frameworks by exploring practical concrete problems that transnational law has posed to the EU. These problems are explored from the perspective of four key tenets of both systems, namely the rule of law, democracy, the protection of human rights, and justice. It does this by advancing the theoretical framework of principled legal pluralism. In so doing it offers clear normative guidance as to how the relationship between EU and transnational law should be developed and fostered.
The supranational law of the European Union represents a uniquely powerful, far-reaching, and controversial instance of the growth of international legal governance, one that has forever altered the political and legal landscape of its Member States. The EU has attracted significant attention from political scientists, economists, and lawyers who have analysed its polity and constructed theoretical models of the integration process. Yet it has been almost entirely neglected by analytic philosophers, and the philosophical tools that have been developed to analyse and evaluate the Union are still in their infancy. This book brings together legal philosophers, political philosophers, and EU legal academics in the service of developing the philosophical analysis of EU law. In a series of original and complementary essays they bring their varied disciplinary expertise and theoretical perspectives to bear on central issues facing the Union and its law. Combining both abstract thought in legal and political philosophy and more tangible theoretical work on specific legal issues, the essays in this volume make a significant contribution to developing work on the philosophical foundations of EU law, and will engender further debate between philosophers, political philosophers, and EU legal academics. They will be of interest to all those engaged in understanding the nature and purpose of this unique legal entity.
This book uses constitutional analysis and theory to explore the transformation of Europe from the post-war era until the Euro-crisis. Authoritarian liberalism has developed over these years and, as the book suggests, is now perhaps reaching its limit. This book uses history and theory to reveal the EU's journey and highlight future challenges.
'At times when so much attention is devoted to the constitutional architecture of the European Union via Treaty amendments or supplements in the aftermath of the Euro-crisis, the core business of European market building through harmonization is all too often neglected. It deserves strong recognition that Isidora Maleti forcefully brings Art. 114 TFEU back to the agenda. Her competent study provides new insights into the major competence rule which still forms the back bone of European Integration. The constant strive of the EU for embarking on non-trade policies against the half-hearted resistance of the Member States deserves indeed a major study, spelling out the details of the rather complex article. Her comprehensive analysis detects the amazing potential of Art. 114 TFEU as a tool to co-ordinate differences in the understanding of what might be a "high level of protection" and it allows for new ways of co-operation between the EU and the Member States. This finding, which is backed through the analysis of the ECJ case law and the notification procedure of Art. 114 TFEU fits into the overall debate on constitutional pluralism which stays away from a hierarchical understanding of the relationship between the EU legal order and the Member States.' – Hans Micklitz, European University Institute, Italy 'This book is essential reading for anyone seeking an up-to-date and critical understanding of the success of the European Union's approach to market harmonisation.' – Veerle Heyvaert, London School of Economics, UK 'Despite all the buzz around the single currency, the heart of the EU edifice remains the internal market. Isidora Maleti 's book is an outstanding contribution of original scholarship that makes this edifice look more solid than ever. By exploring the theory and practice of the archetype legal basis for EU regulatory action, this book dispels the ubiquitous claim that national derogations from European standards are reflective of a weak integration process and convincingly argues that national regulatory differentiation may instead provide opportunities for reflexive learning and risk prevention. The law and policy of harmonisation is European internal market's scholarship at its best and ought to be essential reading to all scholars interested in the dynamics of EU integration.' – Alberto Alemanno, HEC Paris, France and Editor, European Journal of Risk Regulation This innovative book explores the constitutional compromise between the European Union's legislative competence and member states' regulatory autonomy, and analyses the reconciliation of economic integration and welfare protection within the European internal market. It does so through the original lens of article 114 TFEU, the law-making clause underlying the European harmonisation process. Focusing on a critical provision and the controversial derogation mechanism contained therein, the book discusses contemporary, universally fundamental topics, such as risk assessment and related responsibility allocation within the constraints of complex legal frameworks, the preservation of regional regulatory autonomy against the background of centralised legislative norms, and the interaction of economic integration with policy interests like consumer, environmental and health protection. Highlighting the collaborative rather than adversarial value of national deviations from common European measures, the study not only complements the literature available on 'negative integration' of the internal market, but also challenges traditionally accepted axioms, revealing opportunities for risk prevention and legitimacy enhancement stemming from diverse European and national regulatory standards. This detailed book will be of wide international appeal to academics, practitioners, students, judges, policy-makers and officials working within the European Union and government representatives of individual member states, as well as anyone more generally interested in the dynamics of EU integration.
Is the world facing a serious threat to the protection of constitutional democracy? There is a genuine debate about the meaning of the various political events that have, for many scholars and observers, generated a feeling of deep foreboding about our collective futures all over the world. Do these events represent simply the normal ebb and flow of political possibilities, or do they instead portend a more permanent move away from constitutional democracy that had been thought triumphant after the demise of the Soviet Union in 1989? Constitutional Democracy in Crisis? addresses these questions head-on: Are the forces weakening constitutional democracy around the world general or nation-specific? Why have some major democracies seemingly not experienced these problems? How can we as scholars and citizens think clearly about the ideas of "constitutional crisis" or "constitutional degeneration"? What are the impacts of forces such as globalization, immigration, income inequality, populism, nationalism, religious sectarianism? Bringing together leading scholars to engage critically with the crises facing constitutional democracies in the 21st century, these essays diagnose the causes of the present afflictions in regimes, regions, and across the globe, believing at this stage that diagnosis is of central importance - as Abraham Lincoln said in his "House Divided" speech, "If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it."
This book offers the first overarching examination of constitutional pluralism. Comprehensively mapping out the leading contributions to date and solving the complicated labyrinth they currently form, Klemen Jaklic offers a complete assessment against existing and new criticisms while elaborating his own original vision.
Addresses a critical analysis of major media policies in the European Union and Council of Europe at the period of profound changes affecting both media environments and use, as well as the logic of media policy-making and reconfiguration of traditional regulatory models. The analytical problem-related approach seems to better reflect a media policy process as an interrelated part of European integration, formation of European citizenship, and exercise of communication rights within the European communicative space. The question of normative expectations is to be compared in this case with media policy rationales, mechanisms of implementation (transposing rules from EU to national levels), and outcomes.
