Europe Closer to its Citizens: Making Sense of the Lisbon Treaty's Legal Mechanisms
Europe Closer to its Citizens: Making Sense of the Lisbon Treaty's Legal Mechanisms

Summary/Abstract: This article reviews the relationship between the European Union and its citizens in the light of the constitutional failure. The authors argue that the constitutional treaty and its failure were an important element in the formation of a sense of European citizenship but that the failure was as much a constructive element as the debate engendered by the drafting of the text. The identity as a European citizen is a composite and complex one that is not easily reconciled with established definitions emanating from the understanding in the context of nationstates. The authors argue for a positive and constructive interpretation of developments embedded in the reality of the creation of the Union itself, with feats of accomplish- ments, flights of fancy and regular failures.

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