What Does the Crisis Teach Us about the European Union?
What Does the Crisis Teach Us about the European Union?

Summary/Abstract: This article discusses the impact of the crisis on the processes of European integration. From this broad perspective, certain general and detailed problems have been selected for analysis, including the ‘operational code’ of European integration that was developed at the point in time when political decisions were taken to initiate the integration processes. The European Union’s operational code is based on pursuing the policy of fait accompli and giving priority to integration in the policies of the member states, regardless of the area of integration and the values concerned. Even the principles of democracy have been subordinated to this priority. In the light of the fact that public voting has been bypassed on issues related to integration, including economic ones, the legitimacy and effectiveness of these decisions have been called into question. The entire discussion is burdened by the lack of any fundamental consensus about what the political outcome of the integration should be, nor to what extent the crisis, in its various aspects (economic, political, social and democratic), may change the European Union.

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