Constitutional Politics in the European Union - The Convention Moment and its Aftermath

Constitutional Politics in the European Union examines the 'Convention on the Future of Europe' and its impact on the process of European constitutionalization. The Convention's efforts, however, have not yet materialised into a Constitution. So, this was a Convention without a Constitution. Does it matter? The purpose of this book is to show that it may not, or at least not in the sense that many think. It is one of the central contentions of this book that the Convention itself - how it operated and what it represented - is an important 'moment' in the open-ended and contested process of creating a stable constitutional order in the EU. Although the Convention did not result in a constitution, it succeeded in opening up a public constitutional debate; a debate which may contribute to determine the future of the European Union.

Introduction: A Convention without a Constitution? PART I: THE CONVENTION AS A MOMENT OF EU CONSTITUTIONAL POLITICS Constitutional Politics in the European Union Constitutional Moment or Constitutional Process? PART II: THE CONVENTION EXPERIMENT The Convention on the Future of Europe and its Antecedents Membership, Representation, and Accountability The 'Convention Method' PART III: THE CONVENTION AS A MIRROR OF EUROPEAN SOCIETY The Language Regime of the Convention Gender Equality in the Constitution-Making Process The Participation of Civil Society The Contribution of Business Interests The Debate on European Values PART IV: THE CONVENTION AND ITS AFTERMATH The Convention and the 'Living Law' of the European Union Conclusion: From the Convention to the Referendums and Beyond