Narrating Integration and Disintegration in Europe: Italy’s View

Victoria Vdovychenko

Ph.D (history), senior lector, Kyiv Borys Grinchenko University

UDС 94 (4/9)

DOI http://doi.org/10.17721/2524-048X.2017.06.6-24

Abstract

EU’s economic and political challenges open a new page of the European integration history. The Eurozone crisis and challenges presented by Brexit enhanced scholars from various countries to analyze and rethink about the future of the European integration and EU as a whole. The paths of the differentiated integration present a specific interest in this article. This kind of integration is becoming more and more popular among politicians and researchers in their affords to demonstrate a pragmatic approach how to re-start the integration process. This article will outline the issues framed by the differentiated integration in Italy, a founding member of the European Union. Moreover, it presents an attempt to apply the principles of differentiated integration to some of the politics: political and economic governance in the EU. The article poses the question to what extent the political fluidity will be necessary in order for the EU to still remain solid tackling common economic and political challenges.

The article presents the opinions of the Italian scholars and politicians referred to the differentiated integration. The first part of it theorizes the concept of differentiated integration and presents an evolution of scholars’ thoughts starting from the mid-90s. The second part of the article reveals the challenges of the EU, the European integration process and the implications on the Italian Republic. It tries to show how Italy manages to overcome the present integration challenges.

Keywords

Differentiated integration, Italy, EU, disintegration, neo-functionalism.

Download the аrticle

References

1. HRYCYAK, I. KHOMENKO, O. (2009) Osnovni koncepciyi dyferencijovanoyi intehraciyi. Visnyk Nacional”noyi akademiyi derzhavnoho upravlinnya. Vol. 2. (Politolohiya i pravo) [Online] Avaliable from: http://visnyk.academy.gov.ua/ [Acessed May 6, 2017].

2. KOPIJKA, V. (ed) (2012) Yevropejs”kyj Soyuz: istoriya i zasady funkcionuvannya: navchalnyj posibnyk. Kyiv: Znannya.

3. SHAPOVALOVA, O. (2010) Modeli dyferencijovanoyi intehraciyi v yevro intehracijnij polityci Franciyi. Aktual”ni problemy mizhnarodnyx vidnosyn. 88 (1). p. 12-15.

4. BERTONCINI, Y. (2017) L’intégration différenciée dans l’Union Europe’enne: une legitimité a’ géométrie variable. Policy Paper. 186. March. [Online] Available at: http://www.institutdelors.eu/ [Accessed March 22, 2017]

5. BRICCO, P. (2015) Gentiloni avverte: nella UE dinamiche anti-comunitarie. Il Sole 24 Ore. [Online] Available from: http://www.ispionline.it/ [Accessed May 6, 2017]

6. CHOPIN, T. LEQUESNE, C. Differentiation as a double-edged sword: member states’ practices and Brexit. International Affairs 92: 3 (2016). p. 531–545.

7. BLOCKMANS, S. (ed.) (2014) Differentiated Integration in the EU: From the Inside Looking Out, Brussels, CEPS p. 1–8.

8. FERRERA, M. (2016) Rotta di collisione: euro contro welfare?.- Roma-Bari: Laterza, 2016. – 190 p.

9. FERRERA, M. (2013) Neowelfarismo liberale: nuove prospettive per lo stato. Stato e mercato. n. 97 (3). p. 3–36.

10. GROSSE, T. (2015) Can ‘Differentiated Integration’ Lead to a Federation in Europe? Yearbook of Polish European Studies. Vol. 18. p. 15–38.

11. HOLZINGER, K. and SCHIMMELFENNIG, F. (2012) ‘Differentiated integration in the European Union: Many concepts, sparse theory, few data’, Journal of European Public Policy 19 (2), p. 292–305.

12. KOENIG, N (2015). A Differentiated View of Differentiated Integration”, in Jacques Delors. Institute-Berlin Policy Paper. [Online]. Available from: http://www.delorsinstitut.de/ [Accessed March 22, 2017].

13. KOLLIKER, A. (2001) Bringing together or driving apart the union? Towards a theory of differentiated integration. West European Politics Vol. 24, Iss. 4, p. 125–51.

14. BONVINCINI, G., PIROZZI, N., VAI, L. (eds.) (2017) EU60: Re-Founding Europe. The Responsibility to Propose. Rome: IAI.

15. CORRIERE DELLA SERA (2017). I big disegnano il futuro dell’Europa: Nasce una UE a “piu’ velocita’. [Online] Available from: http://www.corriere.it/ [Accessed: 5th May 2017].

16. IL DOMANI D’ITALIA. (2017). Mattarella: Costruire il futuro richiede all’Italia e all’Europa una straordinaria unita’ d’intenti. [Online] Available from: http://ildomaniditalia.eu/ [Accessed: 5th May 2017].

17. O’NEILL, J., TERZI, A. (2014). “Changing Trade Patterns, Unchanging European and Global Governance.” Bruegel Working Paper. 2014/02.

18. SCHIMMELFENNIG, F. (2016) Graded Membership in the European Union: Good Governance and Differentiated Integration.KFG Working Paper Series. 73. 32 p.

19. SCHMITTER, P., LEFKOFRIDI, Z. (2016) ‘Neofunctionalism as a Theory of Integration. Chinese Political Science Review. 1. p.1–29 (10).

20. SERGIO, A. (2017) Brexit and the Future of Europe: Towards a Theory of European Disintegration. Abstract. ECPR [Online].
Available from https://ecpr.eu/ [Accessed: 5th May 2017].

21. SOLDATI A. (2016). Economic Disintegration in Europe. Foreign Affairs. No. 12. [Online]. Available at: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ [Accessed: 6th May 2017].

22. STRANIERO, M. (2016). La nuova Europa: migrazioni, integrazione e sicurezza. Vita [Online]. Available from: http://www.vita.it/ [Accessed: 5th May 2017].

23. STUBB, A. (1997). The Amsterdam Treaty and Flexible Integration: A Preliminary Assessment’, paper presented at the IPSA World Conference, Seoul, 17-21 August. p.1–5.

24. STUBB, A (1996) A Categorization of the Differentiated Integration. Journal of Common Market Studies. – 34 (2). p. 283–295.

25. TORTOLA, P.D. (2014) Integration Theory and the Future of the European Union Research Paper. Centro di studi di federalismo. [Online]. Available from: http://www.csfederalismo.it/ [Accessed: 5th May 2017].

26. USHER, J. A. (1997). Variable Geometry or Concentric Circles: Patterns for the European Union. International and Comparative Law Quarterly. Vol.46. p. 243–273.

27. VDOVYCHENKO, V. (2016). Reflecting on the Intergovernmental Conferences Results 20 Years After: Challenges and Responses (Italy’s View). Zovnishni spravy. No. 6. p. 36–41.

28. AFFARI ITALIANI. (2017). Interview with Alessia Potecchi: Europa e futuro: quale integrazione. – 19 January, 2017. [Online] Available from: http://www.affaritaliani.it/ [Accessed May 14, 2017]

29. VDOVYCHENKO, V. (2012). Italiya v suchasnij Yevropi: vyroblennya imunitetu vid “yevropejs”koyi kryzy”. Zovnishni spravy. No. 5. p. 16–19.

30. VDOVYCHENKO, V. (2013). Ekonomichna dyplomatiya Italiyi v period ekonomichnoyi kryzy (2008-2012). Aktual”ni problemy mizhnarodnyx vidnosyn:
Zbirnyk naukovyx prac”. – Vol. 112 (I). – K.: Instytut mizhnarodnyx vidnosyn. p. 235–242.