What are the differences/similarities between the two articles written 14 years apart?
Widening means expanding the European members to accommodate more nations to the European Union, for example, from fifteen (2004) to twenty- eight (2013). Deepening, on the other hand, refers to a closer relationship between members to enhance integration. Integration in the European Union has been successful both politically and economically. This has been extended to other essential areas such as security, immigration, and enhancement of their asylum-seeking policies. The integration of the European Union has been so deep that the vast numbers’ enlargement cannot derail the achievements made.
The enlargement brings about dynamism and diversity as opposed to disintegration. The introduction of the euro has brought more integration among members. The common currency has improved stability by observing fiscal discipline among members, especially in their respective national budgets. These budgets are usually overseen by the member states who give financial advice, thereby making them learn from each other, thus creating a more closely-knit entity.
Deep integration through market development was geared towards globalization and promoting the euro, thereby improving the European economy’s unification. However, making the euro does not mean creating the united states of Europe; it only helps in the efficiency and effectiveness of the currency and helps legitimizes the corporation of the member state.
One of the challenges that enlargement brought was in terms of decision making. This would be more difficult as it had to consider the new comer’s interest too, which was made almost impossible due to their varied economic development. Members appeared to have addressed the enlargement challenge through the intergovernmental conference on its institutional reforms through the Nice Treaty. They urged that a more comprehensive union would bring with it risks of having closer cooperation.
Enlargement or widening of the European Union brought about fear among the member states in their normal functionality. For instance, in 1995, the inclusion of Finland, Austria, and Sweden prevented the European Union’s smooth functioning, thereby preventing the supposed deepening of the union. Similarly, there is a relationship between widening and deepening in international organizations or the federal system. Countries that wanted to join the association focused on their individual preferences, politics, and some even on human rights policies.
According to Lisa Conant, the European Union’s enlargement leads to an enhanced deepening of its human rights protection policy. She also argues that unstable democracies were more committed to the European Union to help protect human rights in their states. Besides, Eva Heidbreder views depth of the union as a consequence of its width. This means the more the member state in the union, the deeper the policies within the continent. Consequently, the larger the union, the wider the increase of its policy-making capacity. Kelemen et al. argue that the European Union’s deepening depends on where the member state is located within the continent. However, this enlargement would create short term problems, although this is seen as a long term way of deepening the institution.
On the other hand, other scholars have a different school of thought regarding the widening and deepening of the European Union. Frank Schimmelfennig urges that enlargement was brought about by differentiated integration whereby members would adopt policies that are not accepted by some of them. This phenomenon prompted some members to join while discouraging others. Similarly, Christina Schneider focuses on the ideology that diversity among members can hinder International Corporation. She also argues that any national political change alters the member’s preferences towards the European Union, hence hampering its membership’s enlargement. On the other hand, Edoardo Bressanelli views the expansion or enlargement of the union by new member states to reorganize institutional structures within the union.
In conclusion, some scholars argue that enlargement of the European Union can impede deepening while others’ contrasting views encourage widening as a way of deepening.