This document discusses whether and how European integration could become more politicized. It notes that public opinion is no longer accepting of integration without question due to shifts in the EU's policy agenda and the end of a "permissive consensus" among citizens. It argues that constitutionalization alone does not encourage citizen participation and that "majoritarianism light," including more qualified majority voting and less consensus-seeking, could help politicize the process and make leaders more accountable. However, there are trade-offs between constitutionalization and politicization. The document reviews arguments from various scholars on these issues.

1. Should, and could, European
integration become more politicized?
Ivan GRIGORYEV (POL)

2. outline
1.why ask? A brief intro
2.how do we make it more politicized?
Virtues of constitutionalization and
majoritarianism
3.who could help do it?

3. 1.why do we ask ?
The roots of the problem:
shift in the EU's policy agenda + end of
'permissive consensus'

4. shift in policy agenda-1
mid80s-mid90s:
Source: Hix, p. 41
All in favour of changing the SQ, so it
produces winers only

5. shift in policy agenda-2
late 90s-present:
Source: Hix, p. 43
Changing the SQ produces winers
AND losers

6. end of “permissive consensus”
Maastricht and its aftermath “was a great
constitutional moment” for the EU because of
“the public reaction, frequently and deliciously
hostile... For four decades European politicians
were spoiled by a population which was
conveniently indifferent.” Maastricht “has had
a transformative impact: public opinion... is no
longer willing to accept the orthodoxies of
European integration, in particular the
imperative which demanded acceptance, come
what may, of the dynamics of Union
evolution.” (Weiler: 3-4)

7. end of “permissive consensus”
Source: Eurobarometer 54: 32

8. “It is only when the "lower classes"
do not want to live in the old way
and the "upper classes" cannot carry
on in the old way that the revolution
can triumph.” (Lenin: 83)

9. 2.how to make it?
“the EU needs a strong dose of
political oxygen to breath properly”
(Tsoukalis: 6)

10. constitutionalization
“...the aim was to render policy-
making more transparent and
understandable and the system more
accountable to European citizens”
(Tsakatika: 877)

11. constitutionalization
problem: streamlining rules to
make the EU more user-friendly
does not create incentives for
citizens to participate

12. “majoritarianism light”
two-way street: “A contest for control of
political authority and over the direction of
the policy agenda forces elites to reveal their
policy preferences to the public and
encourages leaders to engage in policy
innovation and joined-up thinking across a
range of policy issues. It also allows the
citizens to identify the winners and losers of
policy outcomes... and choose to support rival
leaders in the next stage of the on-going
competition, and to hence hold leaders to
account” (Hix: 90)

13. How to make it more majoritarian?
Hix proposes a combination of more QMV and
less consensus in the Council with a 'winner
takes more' principle within the EP
committees (Hix: 117-136)

14. Should it happen like that
- it would be nice.

15. 3.who would do that?
Who in the EU wants politicization?

16. 3.who would do that?
Trade-off between constitutionalization and
politicization (Hooghe and Marks)

17. sources
Hix, S. (2008) What's Wrong with the European Union
and How to Fix it?, Polity Press
Hooghe, L. and Marks, G. (2005) The neofunctionalists
were (almost) right: politicization and European integration,
Constitutionalism Web-Papers, ConWEB No. 5/2005.
Lenin, V.I. (1999) 'Left-wing' Communism – An infantile
disorder, Resistance Books
Standard Eurobarometer 54,
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb54/eb54_
en.pdf
Tsakatika, M. (2007) Governance vs. politics: the
European Union's constitutive 'democratic deficit',
Journal of European Public Policy 14: 6
Tsoukalis, L. (2005) What Kind of Europe? OUP
Weiler, J. (1999) The Constitution of Europe: 'Do the New
Clothes Have an Emperor?' and Other Essays on European
Integration, Cambridge University Press

18. pictures' sources
1: Did Will Would Should Could Have by banlon1964,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/banlon1964/646793350/
2: Minimalism* by imapix,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesec/235087674/
3: Root problem by Autumnsonata,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsonata/2564556107/
4,5: Good cat Bad cat by Tabbie-cats,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitty-cats-corner/419522334/
6: Lego People by Joe Shlabotnik,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/305410323/
8: LENIN, ALEXANDROVA Y NIXON by bocángel,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bocangel/3067068557/
9: Oxygen by Geeflex,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geeflex/3025253199/
10: No kite, 2 bikes and a casual passer-by by OR-U,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grantlsack/1029779042/

19. pictures' sources
11: Another reason to bootleg transfats in your basement by
pinkyhonor,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21891888@N00/495245511/
12: Members of the UK Youth Parliament take their seats by
UK Parliament, http://www.flickr.com/photos/uk_parliament/
4071865126/
13: Maroš Šefčovič answering questions of MEPs: a view
from regia's booth by European Parliament,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/european_parliament/4285999544
14: On a nice day by madamcoffee,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madamcoffee/4133485833/
15: Tony Blair, Klaus Schwab - World Economic Forum
Annual Meeting Davos 2007 by World Economic Forum,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/3747093
43/
16: Gezinsdag Herman Van Rompuy by CD&V,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdenv/3640167843/