Author: Matthias Matthijs
Affiliation: Johns Hopkins University
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Affairs
Date/Place: May-June 2020/USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 4004
Link: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2020-04-13/right-way-fix-eu
Keywords: European Union, National Sovereignty, Legitimacy
Brief:
The article takes on the diversity of the policies designed by the European Union, policies crafted by strategists to maintain the EU’s legitimacy and global influence in the Post-Brexit era. The author suggests that it should use this moment as an opportunity to rectify those mistakes. The work also reflects the nuances of the policies which stop the EU from achieving in reality those political objectives. Adequately, the EU should stop putting economic logic ahead of political reality when it should be the other way around—as the original guiding principles of European integration held. This would require surrendering national sovereignty to the European Union, to buttress the legitimacy of member states. The author believes that Ursula von der Leyen as the European Commission’s new president may equalize alongside Merkel to bring fundamental reforms. The guiding EU principles should once again be the primacy of politics rather than economics—not for old times’ sake but for the future.
By: Maryam Khan, CIGA Research Associate
