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AGATAGOSTYŃSKA,RODERICKPARKES
“ThisTimeIt’sDifferent:”ANotefromtheGuestEditors
ThisspecialissueofthePolishQuarterlyofInternationalAffairs,
exploringthepoliticallandscapeaftertheMay2014elections,drawson
discussionsheldbetweenthinktanksoftheEuropeanPolicyInstitutes
NetworkinWarsawon25November2013.Theseminar,co-organisedby
EPINmembers:thePolishInstituteofInternationalAffairs(PISM)andthe
CentreforEuropeanPolicyStudies(CEPS),assessedthelikelychanges
totheintegrationprocessafter2014andtheroleofthenextParliament
inshapingpost-crisisEurope.Inotherwords,itconfrontedtheEuropean
Parliament’sowncampaignclaim:“thistimeit’sdifferent.”
And,indeed,everyoneconcurredthatitwas,toadegree.Theparticipants
agreedthatthefinancialcrisishasbroughtEuropetotheforefrontofnational
debates,somethingwhichcouldboostratesofvoterturnoutwhichhave
declinedeversincetheintroductionofdirectelectionsin1979.Yet,theywere
lessunitedaboutwhetherthemomentumcouldbeproperlyexploitedbythe
mainstreampoliticalparties.Thereisgrowingoppositiontotheobligations
ofEUmembership,letalonetowardsanyfurthertransferofcompetencesto
theEUlevel.Insomedomesticdebatestheelectoralcampaignisalsolikely
tobestronglyaffectedbyin/outarguments.
So,arecloudsgatheringoverthenewEuropeanParliament?AsGöran
vonSydowarguesinhiscontributiontothisvolume,thesovereigndebt
crisisdispensedwithanyresidualnotionofthepermissiveconsensusinEU
affairs.Thusanyfurthertransferofpowersimpingingonmemberstates’
coresovereigntyislikelytofurtherpoliticiseEUaffairs,leadingtosplits
betweenmainstreampartieskeentobehaveresponsiblyandnewerparties
disinterestedbygovernment.HearguesthatsincetheEuropeanUnionhas
notyetdevelopedaproperpoliticalarenatoaccommodatethisphenomenon,
thememberstatesaretheplacewherepoliticisationwilltakeplace.
TePolishQuarterlyofInternationalAfairs,2014,no.1
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