European Union: History, Institutions, and Canary Islands Integration
European Union: A Historical Overview
1951: European Community of Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Sector regulated by member countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, and Netherlands).
1957: Treaty of Rome. EEC is created.
1973: Incorporates Denmark, Ireland, and the UK.
1981: Greece, Portugal, and Spain signed the Single European Act, agreeing to free circulation of persons, goods, and services.
1992: Maastricht Treaty establishing the EU.
1995: Finland, Sweden, and Austria join.
Read MoreUnderstanding Democracy: Meanings and Models
Item 6. Democracy
The Meanings of Democracy
Democracy is today one of the few positive words that exist in the political vocabulary. However, this positive perception is very recent. It’s hard to find widespread sympathy for democracy well into the nineteenth century. In the entire history of political theory, it is difficult to find arguments explicitly for democracy until the struggle for universal suffrage appeared during the nineteenth century and developed in the twentieth. Democracy was often
Read MoreEuropean Parliament: History and Evolution
Introduction
The European Parliament is an important forum for political debate and decision-making at the EU level. The Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters in all Member States to represent people’s interests with regard to EU law-making and to make sure other EU institutions are working democratically.
Evolution of the European Parliament
The Parliament, like the other institutions, was not designed in its current form when it first met on September 10, 1952. One of
Read MoreThe European Union: A Comprehensive Analysis
The European Union: An Overview
The European Union (EU) represents the economic and political integration of several European countries. It strives to safeguard cultural and linguistic diversity, symbolized by its flag and anthem. Established in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty, the EU currently comprises 27 member states.
Stages of Construction
- 1951 Treaty of Paris: Established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), aiming to unify European economies.
- 1957 Treaty of Rome: Created the European Economic
The Holy Alliance and 19th Century European Politics
The Holy Alliance and Attempts to Restore the Old Order
Following Napoleon’s defeat, European powers convened in Vienna to reshape the continent. This conference, involving Austria, Russia, and Prussia, aimed to establish a new map of Europe and a political system underpinned by the ideology of The Holy Alliance.
The New Map of Europe
The redrawing of Europe’s map was justified by Napoleon’s defeat but was also influenced by the interests of countries like Austria, Prussia, Russia, and England.
The
Read MoreUnderstanding the European Commission and Council
The European Commission
The EU’s executive body, responsible for proposing and implementing EU laws, monitoring the treaties, and the day-to-day running of the EU.
Key Responsibilities
- Proposing laws to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
- Managing the EU’s budget and allocating funding.
- Ensuring that EU law is complied with (together with the Court of Justice).
Enforcement of EU Law
- First, it launches a legal process called the “infringement procedure”: sending the government an