Economic, Political and Social Identity in the European Union
Professor John Wilton
Lecture 6
A European Union for citizens to identify with: federalism and subsidiarity

Lecture 6
What kind of European Union would citizens identify with?
- a federal system based on            subsidiarity?
-centralised, bureaucratic ‘Superstate’ E.U., based overwhelmingly in Brussels = negative image
-decentralised E.U., alongside political and socio-cultural regional identity = positive image?

Lecture 6
a)Functionalism
- the functions of different elements of societies would encourage and produce co-operation and
integration.
b) Neo-functionalism
- based on principle of ‘spillover’ (integration and benefits from one policy area ‘spillover’ into
other sectors)

Lecture 6
-‘spillover’ produce federal E.U. and E.U. citizen identity?
-Federal E.U. = ‘Europe of the Regions’ based on subsidiarity?
-Federalism – 3 main assumptions:
a) societies are complex and diverse;
b) societies are pluralistic;
c) institutions that protect diversity   and autonomy, and produce unity,   are required

Lecture 6
•A federal framework for the E.U. would:
-protect minorities and minority interests;
-prevent the growth of a strong centralised power;
-lead to the peaceful integration of conflicting interests;
-help solve societal problems at the level of government (local, regional, national, E.U.) most
suited to deal with the particular problem or issue.
•