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  • A constituição da União Europeia: um novo modelo de sociedade europeia?
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo
    Apesar da polémica, a Constituição da União Europeia tem predicados. Neste artigo concentramo-nos no reforço da participação dos parlamentos nacionais na tomada de decisão da União. Olhando ao passado recente – esboroamento da base parlamentar, fuga do poder executivo para as decisões tomadas no Conselho de Ministros da União – a Constituição permite a reconquista de poderes pelos parlamentos nacionais. Por aí, retoma o ponto de contacto com os cidadãos. Neste sentido, a Constituição é um passo em frente na democratização da integração europeia. Despite the controversy, the European Constitution presents valuable aspects. Here we focus on national parliaments’ strengthened participation on the EU’s decision-making process. Looking back to the past (how the parliamentary basis has eroded, how national executive power sheltered in the Council of Ministers), the Constitution allows national parliaments to regain some of the powers they lost. Therefore, the EU is again on track with citizens, it becomes more representative. Thus, the Constitution is a step forward on the European integration’s democratisation.
  • A Theoretical Approach of Economic and Monetary Union: does practice vindicate liberal intergovernmentalism?
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo; no
    The literature strongly suggests that the creation of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) was largely influenced by the “power of ideas”, an accommodation to international markets challenges. The outcome was EMU’s political-economy inspired by the monetarist school, a considerable disempowerment of national governments. Put in the perspective of European integration theories, EMU seemed to reject liberal intergovernmentalism claims that member states’ interests are the major input to European integration developments. However, since the monetary union was launched several events showed that national governments re-captured the influence they theoretically lost with EMU. Notably the persistent breach of the Stability and Growth Pact might be the evidence that EU institutions (especially the Commission) and other societal actors lost ground to national governments. The paper asks whether the operation of EMU reflects a paradigm change in terms of European integration theories: how liberal intergovernmentalism emerged as the theory with greater explanatory potential of EMU in motion.
  • European Union Regional Policy meets the challenge of enlargement: inertia or reform?
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo
    O último alargamento é um acontecimento singular na vida da União Europeia (UE). A consequência mais notória é o acréscimo de heterogeneidade no interior da UE. Como as assimetrias de rendimento entre os Estados membros são mais acentuadas, interrogamo-nos se o funcionamento equilibrado da União não está em perigo. Faz sentido questionar o papel desempenhado pela política de coesão económica e social (em especial pela política regional). O artigo analisa duas soluções alternativas: a preservação do actual statu quo e a reforma da política regional. The recent enlargement is unprecedented for many reasons. One of the most visible implications is the sizeable heterogeneity that characterises the European Union (EU). Since income differentials between member states have widened, the question is whether the EU is affected by this intense heterogeneity. Therefore, the role of cohesion policy (especially regional policy) is at stake. The paper examines two alternative solutions: the preservation of the existing statu quo and the reform of regional policy.
  • A teorização da União Europeia: missão impossível?
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo
    Acusa-se a União Europeia de ser opaca. Quando se esboça a sua teorização, a complexidade adensa-se. As divergências sobrepõem-se aos aspectos de concordância. Daí que a integração europeia seja um aluvião de teorias: governação supranacional, “liberal intergovernmentalism”, novo institucionalismo, teoria do “consociationalism” e teoria da fusão são uma amostra da miríade de teorias da integração europeia, dos antagonismos em que se fi liam. O que alimenta a seguinte questão: qual a utilidade da excitação intelectual que enquadra a teorização da integração europeia?
  • The European Union: a case of ‘unconventional’ fiscal dederalism?
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo; yes
    There has been a lively debate among scholars about the feasibility and desirability of fiscal federalism in the European Union (EU). The paper addresses the question of whether ‘conventional fiscal federalism’ is feasible in the EU, considering the distinctiveness of European integration and the political-economic template of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). It is an attempt to bridge the gap between economics and political science by adding the political conditions that might create difficulties to economics’ rationale. The paper highlights how fiscal federalism is a multi-faceted concept embracing both a centralisation and a decentralisation outcome. Borrowing the Musgravian classification of allocation-equity-stabilisation, the EU is examined as far as redistribution is concerned. The aim is to conclude whether centralisation or decentralisation is the prevailing outcome. For that purpose, the EU is compared with five mature federations on two issues: the depth of regional asymmetries; and the extent to which regional inequalities are redressed through redistribution. Considering that in the EU: i) the current distribution of fiscal competences is favourable to member states; ii) decentralisation is the outcome for the redistribution function; iii) despite monetary policy is the main tool for macroeconomic stabilisation, and this is a policy arena where centralisation prevails; iv) the diminished scope for inter-state solidarity averts more centralisation in redistribution; and v) national governments’ absent political willingness to increase the EU budget; all this suggests that centralised, ‘conventional fiscal federalism’ is ruled out as a feasible solution for the EU. Notwithstanding this doesn’t imply that fiscal federalism is absent from the EU. A distinct, decentralised modality of fiscal federalism already exists, coping with the ‘sui generis’ nature of European integration.
  • O tratado de Lisboa e o Sermão de Santo António aos peixes: as surpreendentes semelhanças
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo
    O artigo passa em revista o fracasso do Tratado Constitucional, indagando sobre os elementos de continuidade e ruptura entre este tratado e o Tratado de Lisboa. Como pouco mudou de um tratado para o outro, e como os líderes europeus subtrairam o Tratado de Lisboa à ratificação através de referendos nacionais, somos levados a uma improvável semelhança com o Sermão de Santo António aos Peixes: a integração europeia continua a avançar divorciada dos cidadãos. The paper examines the events that triggered the failure of the Constitutional Treaty. Particular emphasis is on the aspects of continuity and rupture between this treaty and the Lisbon Treaty. Since only a few things changed when both treaties are compared, and considering European leaders’ decision to avoid national referendums on the Lisbon Treaty, an implausible similarity with António Vieira’s book (Saint Anthony’s Sermon to the Fishes) emerges: European integration developments fail to encompass citizens’ voice.
  • A União Europeia após a queda do muro de Berlim: sucessos e desafios
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo
    O artigo explora os efeitos endógenos e exógenos da queda do muro de berlim no processo de integração europeia: os desenvolvimentos na união europeia (ue) foram determinados por aquele acontecimento? e, em consequência, a ue projectou-se no exterior? O artigo identifica, nas conclusões, a esquizofrenia do processo de integração europeia: a ue é um gigante económico e um anão político. A ue não conseguiu assumir protagonismo no teatro das relações internacionais. todavia, esse diagnóstico não traduz um insucesso do processo de integração europeia. The article explores endogenous and exogenous effects of the berlin wall collapse on european integration. Did the fall of the berlin wall influenced european union (eu) developments? Did, henceforth, the eu played a role at the international level? the schizophrenia of european integration is emphasised, i.e., the eu as an economic giant and a political dwarf. Whether this is instructive of failure of the european project, notably for the absent international role of the eu, is the issue addressed in the conclusion.
  • O pacto de estabilidade e crescimento: morto ou no congelador?
    Publication . Vila Maior, Paulo
    The paper surveys the theoretical arguments emphasising why the Stability and Growth Pact will not be strictly enforceable and the reasons that encourage a rigid implementation. Then, the events of the second half of 2003 that affected the implementation of the pact are reviewed. If the pact seems virtually dead, the truth is that prominent actors didn’t put their signature on the pact’s death sentence. Therefore ambiguity comes to the surface, feeding the uncertainty that ultimately affects Economic and Monetary Union. O artigo apresenta os argumentos favoráveis à flexibilização do Pacto de Estabilidade e Crescimento e à sua aplicação rígida, sem envolver quaisquer desvios às regras aceites por todos os Estados membros. Os acontecimentos da segunda metade de 2003, que vieram por em causa o pacto, são analisados de forma crítica. Se, na aparência, o pacto parece estar morto, nenhum dos principais actores envolvidos na sua aplicação admite este resultado. A ambiguidade é o mote para um clima de incerteza que afecta a credibilidade da União Económica e Monetária.