The European Union in the 21st century: Perspectives from the Lisbon Treaty

The new Treaty of Lisbon brings important changes to the European construction, including a significant expansion of common policies decided by the Community method, a stable President for the European Council, a strengthened framework for external policies, more transparent and effective decision-making and strict safeguards of subsidiarity. This collection of essays edited by Stefano Micossi and Gian Luigi Tosato, analyse the changing equilibria in common policies, institutional settings and mechanisms of legitimisation of the European Union and sketch out possible scenarios for the 21st century.