Key European Union Institutions and Integration Theories
1. The European Commission
Nature & Composition:
- Executive branch of the EU; promotes the European interest, not national interests.
- One Commissioner per member state, including the Commission President and several Vice-Presidents.
- Commissioners must act independently from their national governments.
- Organized into Directorates-General (DGs), similar to ministries.
Powers & Functions:
- Exclusive right of legislative initiative: almost all EU laws start with the Commission.
- “Guardian of the Treaties”:
EU Legislative Bodies: Council and Parliament Functions
The Council’s Role and Quorum
Quorum: The Council can vote only if a majority of its members is present. A member of the Council may only act on behalf of one other member.
Opinion is divided whether the Council is intergovernmental or supranational, with debate complicated by its changing role, powers, and methods. Changes in its voting procedures have altered the Council’s priorities over time, obliging Member States (MS) to work together or achieve agreement, and tending to push the Council more
Read More19th Century Spanish Wars: Peninsular and Carlist Conflicts
The Peninsular War (1807–1814)
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was a military conflict fought by Bourbon Spain and Portugal, assisted by the United Kingdom, against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when the French and Spanish armies invaded and occupied Portugal in 1807, and escalated in 1808 after Napoleonic France took over Spain, previously its ally, and installed Joseph Bonaparte on the
Read More19th Century European History: Key Concepts and Events
Core Themes in 19th Century European History
- Conservatism vs. Liberalism vs. Socialism vs. Nationalism
- Industrialization leading to class conflict and political reform
- Unification through diplomacy and war (Italy and Germany)
- Modernization failures resulting in revolution (Russia)
- World War I and the subsequent unstable peace
Chronological Glossary of Historical Terms
Political Thinkers and Early Reform
Edmund Burke: A conservative thinker reacting to the French Revolution; he argued for tradition, gradual
Read MoreEU Ordinary Legislative Procedure — Parliament & Council
The ordinary legislative procedure is the main method for adopting legislation in the EU. It involves the European Parliament and the Council of the EU as co-legislators. These two bodies work together to legislate in the EU.
Principal Legislators
- Council of the EU — Represents the governments of the Member States.
- European Parliament — Represents EU citizens directly.
Right of Legislative Initiative
- European Commission — The European Commission is the main institution with the right of legislative
The Catholic Monarchs: Forging the Spanish State
The Creation of the Modern State: Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs (Reyes Católicos) established the first example of an authoritarian monarchy in the Hispanic kingdoms. They created organs of government that depended directly on the Crown and actively sought to subdue the power of the nobility and the clergy.
Dynastic Union of Castile and Aragon
The marriage of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, heirs to the two most important crowns of the Iberian Peninsula, led to the formation
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