EU Institutions and Community Law: Structure & Powers
EU Institutions
European Commission
The European Commission acts as the administration of the EU, located in Brussels. It consists of 17,000 officers and is led by a President, six Vice-Presidents, and Commissioners, totaling 20 individuals. Commissioners’ roles are similar to those of Ministers, divided by subject matter.
Powers:
- Management: Managing the EU administration.
- Representation: Representing the EU to other states or international organizations.
- Negotiation: Negotiating on behalf of the EU.
Right vs. Good: Justice, Freedom, and Self-Knowledge
Right vs. Good: Several Contrasts
Several contrasts between the right and the good:
First difference: Principles of justice are chosen in the original position; principles of rational choice are not chosen at all. Since everyone is free to act according to his own conception, there is no need to choose them. Rawls supports a thin theory of the good.
Second difference: Goods can be different for different individuals (different aims, life-plans, preferences according to talents and so on), rights are
Read MoreUnderstanding Society, Regimes, and Power in Global Relations
Understanding Society, Regimes, and Power
Norbert Elias, a sociologist, in 1987 announced the concept of the society of individuals. Over the years, flows are increasing, and we have more access to information from all over the world, allowing us to create our own identity. Before, we only learned from family and school. Today, we also learn from television and the Internet. According to Elias, this means that increasingly having the feeling of being part of a global society has created this sense
Read MoreMorgenthau’s Realism, International Order, and Thucydides Trap
Morgenthau’s Six Principles of Political Realism (1965)
- Selfish Politics: States primarily act in their own self-interest.
- Autonomous Sphere of Action: Politics operates independently of morality or ethics.
- Self-Interest and Changing Political Reality: Conflicting state interests drive political change.
- Situational Ethics: Ethical considerations are relative to the specific situation.
- Opposition to Ideological Crusades: Nations should not impose their ideologies on others through force.
- Pessimistic View
Theories of International Relations: Neorealism vs. Neoliberalism
Neorealism in International Relations
Application of a positivist mindset to International Relations (IR):
- Parsimonious: Focus only on a few variables. Development of few assumptions and elimination of all the others (e.g., states are assumed to be rational utility maximizers and to have few interests that are similar for all).
- Scientific: Based on observable data. Focus only on objects and variables that can be measured.
Neorealism is the attempt to develop a more rigorous theory of IR and come up
Read MoreRealism and Security: A Deep Dive into Classical and Neo-Realism
Realism and Security: A Deep Dive
Realism remains highly effective in explaining security-related issues. It presents two main varieties: classical realism and neo-realism.
Classical Realism
Classical realists assert that the survival of a state depends on its capacity to protect its population, institutions, or territory. Military capabilities are the main source of power, and can be used to pressure other states into taking actions that they would not have taken. They believe the pursuit of national
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