This article summarizes a talk, given at the conference From Bretton Woods to Berlaymont: Globalisation, Integration and the Future of Europe, organized by KOF Swiss Economic Institute and ETH Zurich from 22-23 March 2018. It highlights the complexity and multidimensional nature of the question about the future development of the European Union. It argues that there is a need for rebalancing subsidiarity and supranationality, but that the assignment of tasks and the "optimal" degree of centralization has to be judged on a case-by-case basis, differentiated by policy area. Moreover, it emphasizes the need to draw a line between what is desirable from a scientific perspective and can be judged by objective standards and what is desirable from a political perspective, which will vary a lot with political preferences. Finally, it argues that, at least in the short-to medium-run, economic integration should be given priority over political Integration. / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Diplomová práce Pavel Novák, 2012 Abstrakt anglicky This work deals with institutional structure and processes of the European Union which operate in foreign missions of this international organization under Common Security and Defence Policy. On the basis of functional analysis of institutions there are described relevant institutions and theirs codified processes. Practical exercise is analyzed on chosen sample of two military operations and two civilian missions. Conclusion is drawn from founded problems of institutional character.

Important role in the integration process is played by the EU institutions. The subject of the thesis are description and analysis of the transformation of the European institutions, reforms of the founding treaties and the law of the Union. The theoretical part provides the reader with an overview of the EU institutions, their structure, competences and development. At the end, the theoretical part deals with problems of the institutions, provides solutions and indicates potential trends of the EU institutions developement. The empirical part deals with the interests and opinions of the Czech public on the EU functioning EU. The results provided that the public is aware of their electoral rights, know their representatives and watches how they vote. Although the public is not satisfied with the functioning of the EU chooses the option to remain in the Union.

This Research is aimed at becoming a theoretical contribution to the field of European Integration Theory and IR for two reasons. Firstly, this Research proposes the theoretical perspective of Talcott Parsons from sociology and organizational research to scholars within IR Theory. By employing the historical institutionalist and social constructivist IR perspectives and Parsons's 'four-function paradigm' theory, scholars can identify the two effects of a successful institutional design of international political organizations such as the EU: effectiveness and a good public reputation. The Literature Review in Chapter 2 is a theoretical discussion about compatibility of the Parsonians concepts of 'adaptation', a 'holistic approach to policymaking', 'success', and the 'European institutional design' with the European Integration Theory and IR fields. The same Chapter stresses the need to consider the 'ideas' of political leaders in analysing change of institutional design. The second reason for which this Research is a contribution to IR theory is the presentation of eight specific strategies that are likely to generate an organization's success. The eight strategies are institutional conditions making up the 'eight-condition model' of Charles Edquist. This Research adopts an objective and deductive approach that applies the Parsonians theory and the Edquist's 'eight-condition model' to empirical data about European institutions in a cross-sectional and longitudinal research design in the Analysis Chapters 4, 5, and 6. A 'holistic innovation policy approach' to supranational policymaking is employed by the Researcher for the salient circumstances of success to be identified, in order to guide data collection and analysis. The results show that success occurred three times: fully, in the years between 1945 and 1958 and from 1959 to 2002, and partially from 2003 until our days. The concepts of 'adaptation', 'success', 'ideas', the 'four-function paradigm' theory of Parsons and the 'eight-condition model' of Edquist are discussed and ultimately claimed to be both epistemologically compatible and methodologically valid for studies about the success of European integration in the Discussions and Conclusions Chapter.