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CHAPTER 12
THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: THE CROSSROADS REDUX
Overview
Peter Bergen’s statement at the beginning of the chapter says it all! Since the last edition of
the text, at least three crises—two connected to developments outside the EU and one endemic
to it—have contributed to increasingly skeptical and negative opinions about the European
Union. As in the past, the EU appears to be at a crossroads where its inability to resolve
critical problems is undermining its institutions and authority.
The first crisis we cover in some detail began in the United States in 2007 and contributed to
major debt problems in Europe—especially in the Mediterranean states—and raised many
questions about the stability of the euro. The second crisis is the flood of migrants and asylum
seekers who initially arrived in Greece and Italy and who were escaping wars in the Middle
The chapter begins with a brief history of the EU and traces some transformations in its major
institutions. Integration was relatively popular in the 1950s and 1960s, with some of the
founding fathers envisioning a “United State of Europe” with a federalist political system.
Key Terms
•
European Union
•
Brexit
•
European Economic Community
•
Functionalism
•
Intergovernmentalism
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Teaching Tips
• The European Union is usually a popular topic with students. Many of them have traveled
there with their families or high school groups, and many will choose to study abroad there.
The crisis issues covered in the chapter still receive a good deal of coverage in major
newspapers and journals. There are many YouTube videos available on issues discussed in
this chapter.
• Use the map and the chronology in the chapter as much as possible at first.
• In the past many academics focused on explaining why integration moved forward in fits
and starts based on its limited successes in cooperation that “spilled over” from one policy
area to another. Anti-communism during the Cold War also provided political and
economic motives that led officials to sign the Treaty of Rome in 1956. Integration slowed
in the 1960s but then picked up again in the 1970s. Globalization and the end of the Cold
• Discuss where the EU fits into a world order that is becoming more multipolar and less
dominated by the United States.
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• Make sure to highlight the bold terms in the text and mention that they may be possible
multiple choice and essay questions on an exam (see below). Also mention to students
certain topics that would make good essay questions. Urge students to know the names of
• One issue not covered extensively in this chapter is the EU relationship with Russia. Some
students are interested in the relationship of the Baltics nations, Hungary, and Poland with
Russia, especially as President Putin seeks to re-establish Russia as a major player in global
political-economic relations.
1. Encourage students to use some of the IPE tools identified in Chapter 1 to help describe
and explain terms and arguments. These include the levels of analysis, 4 IPE perspectives,
and 5 international structures.
2. Assert that the EU has been going through a transformation that is fundamentally changing
the role of some of its institutions. Identify 3 or 4 EU institutions and write an essay in
which you defend this argument and explain arguments against it.
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Who suggested after World War II that western Europe should forge a “United States” of
Europe?
a) Queen Elizabeth
2) In which city did six countries sign the Treaty establishing the EEC?
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a) Berlin
3) The concept of “spillover” is most closely associated with
d) the ECSC.
4) Which British Prime Minister put the damper on EU integration in the early 1980s by
emphasizing neoliberal economic policies?
5) Which treaty formally established the “European Union,” the European Central Bank,
and the Economic and Monetary Union in 1992?
a) Treaty of Lisbon
6) Most economic experts argue that the fundamental problem with the EMU is
a) lack of authority by the head of the ECB.
7) Which of the following institutions is not a member of the Troika?
a) The IMF
8) Which Troika policy generated massive protests and demonstrations in Greece and other
European countries because it imposed economic hardship on ordinary people?
d) Détente
9) Which candidate for prime minister of Greece promised not to agree to Troika conditions
for a third Greek loan, but then did agree to those conditions once he was elected?
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a) Yanis Varoufakis
d) refugees
11) In Europe, what does “The Jungle” refer to?
a) a district in Paris where terrorists are known to strike
12) Which of the following was required of the UK before negotiations could begin with the
UK for terms related to its future relationship to the EU?
13) Which of the following statements is incorrect?
a) The European Council is composed of a single representative from each member
nation and is the main lawmaking body of the EU.
14) A top government minister in which country said that Greece should leave the EU?
d) Belgium
15) Balaam and Dillman conclude that which of the following states must assume more
hegemonic responsibilities if European states are to continue to cooperate to solve
common problems?
a) the UK
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Suggested Readings and Links
Marchetti, Raffaelle, ed. Debating Migration to Europe: Welfare vs. Identity. New York:
Routledge, 2018.
Nugent, Neil. The Government and Politics of the European Union. 6th ed. Basingstoke:
Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
Audiovisual Resources
Agorá – From Democracy to the Market. Yorgos Avgeropoulos, dir. A Small Planet
Production, 2015. “AGORΑ … constitutes an impressive mosaic that demonstrates the
Greek crisis from 2010 to 2014. It traces its impact on Greek society through four dark
Europe’s Migration Tragedy. Filmed by Mark Stone and Paul Fraser. Sky News, 2016.
Documents the rescue of refugees in the Mediterranean. At
