The Future of the European Union after the Rejection of the Constitution Treaty—Two Directions
The Future of the European Union after the Rejection of the Constitution Treaty—Two Directions

Summary/Abstract: In the debate on the ways of breaking the impasse in the European Union, two basic directions of thinking can be identified. They are both based on the assumption that the most important challenge which the EU is facing is resisting the competitive pressure and the political marginalization, resulting from the development of new powers. One of the directions seems to involve the new possibilities in the reform of the existing European Union, and consequently also the Member States, in order to strengthen its international position, maintain the high level of economic development and increase its efficiency in the area of security. The second direction seems to involve development opportunities consisting in deepening the integration in order to obtain coherent structures, more resistant to external pressures and capable of influencing the international situation. When analyzing the two directions in terms of their external challenges (foreign policy, enlargement) and internal adaptations (political leadership, institutional reforms) the authors present two visions of the future of the EU—the “diversified and open” EU and the “closed and consolidated” option.

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