Differentiation in the European Union Integration Process Essay

â€Å"From time to time it is worth reminding ourselves why twenty-seven European nation states have come together voluntarily to form the partnership that is the European Union.† 1 Europe has a history of war and conflict that predates living memory and the idea of a united Europe is something that appears repeatedly in that history. Hitler, Napoleon, and the many Roman Emperors all sought a united Europe. Their quests although in many ways motivated by a horrifying desire for power sparked the minds of philosophers and other political thinkers to imagine Europe united in harmony and peace despite national differences. Today we have the European Union which is quite unique. After the horrors, bloodshed, and economic disaster of the twentieth century, in a desire for peace and harmony and economic and political prosperity twenty-seven states have limited their national sovereignty.2 With national interests and ambition still in mind these countries see the European Union and supranational governance and the benefits of peace and prosperity therein as something worthwhile. However, in the history of European integration there has been much conflict and Euroskep ticism. Some see unity in diversity and diversity in unity as impossible, and the existence of differentiation in the EU as highly problematic. However, differentiation in the European Union’s integration process is not the hindrance it is often defined as, rather it creates further cooperation in Europe bringing the European Union closer to its objectives of peace, and economic and political growth, resulting in a more effective and efficient bureaucracy. Differentiation in the EU’s integration process has created more successful integration as it allows the nations who wish t... .... â€Å"European Identities: From Absent-Minded Citizens to Passionate Europeans,† Sociology 41.4 (2007). Jorgensen, Marianne – Phillips, Louise. Discourse analysis as Theory and Method. London: Sage, 2002. Junge, Kerstin. Differentiated European Integration:European Union Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Keil, Kathrin. Differentiation in the European Integration Process. Sweden: Lund University, 2009. Littoz-Monnet, Annabelle. The European Union and Culture: Between economic regulation and European cultural policy. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2007. Marks, Gary and Marco R. Steenbergen. European Integration and Political Conflict. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Zervakis, Peter, 2006. â€Å"Differentiated Integration†: An Alternative Path to Classical Integration?, in: The Federalist (Paria), 48 (2006) 3, 205-213.