Die Europäisierung des Nationalstaates – Erosion oder Transformation?

Abstract

This paper asks whether the traditional European nation-state has eroded or transformed as a consequence of European integration. In order to answer this research question, several aspects are being analyzed. Since more and more decisions that are taken on the supranational political level have a direct impact on the daily lives of the so-called European citizens, the author argues that Europeanization represents a tremendous challenge for traditional nation-states. The European Union evolved to a unique supranational entity that takes on many state-like functions, although it is not (yet) a state. Nevertheless, European nation-states still remain at the heart of the political decision-making processes, because the European Union is a) mainly founded by nation-states, b) there is no European army and c) the European Union is unlike nation-states unable to tax its citizens. The paper concludes that there has rather been a transformation and not an erosion of the traditional European states. Statehood is now being shared between nation-states and the supranational European level.

Keywords

• European Union
• nation-state
• erosion
• transformation
• Europeanization