United States and the European Union - Basic (Pre-)Constitutional Differences
United States and the European Union - Basic (Pre-)Constitutional Differences

Summary/Abstract: It is often argued that to build political union Member States of the European Unionshould follow the American example and experience of nation building. However, there are some factors of political, historical and philosophical nature that make the US model unsuitable. Rather than dwelling upon these, the article deals with the main reasons why, as the author believes, it is impossible to create pan-European democracy through a simple political act. The main focus of the article is the Treaty establishing Constitution for Europe (2003) and its successor, the EU Reform Treaty (Lisbon), which resembles the former in the overwhelming majority of its provisions, and is to replace the existing constitutional framework of the EU in 2009.

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