Brexit leaves the EU weaker, smaller and poorer — but it can and should also spur reform.
Andrew Duff argues that the loss of the United Kingdom should prompt
serious reflection about the constitutional direction of the European
Union. The secession of a member state changes the context of European
integration.
The EU should aim to have major
changes in place by 2029, including treaty revision. The reforms should
include: (i) a renegotiation of the Brexit deal leading to a new class
of affiliate membership; (ii) completion of the constitutional framework
for a fiscal union; (iii) a European Parliament fully legitimated by
election from transnational lists; and (iv) a ‘European Security
Council’ of defence ministers to span the divide between the EU and
NATO.
The Conference on the Future of Europe may prove to be a
useful democratic experiment. But it is not designed to address the
important constitutional challenges that the Union faces. Duff therefore
proposes creating an expert reflection group to stimulate the full
implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon as well as prepare the way for
the next Convention which must be called to amend the EU treaties. More
immediately, the reflection group should make proposals to settle the
controversial matter of how to elect the new President of the European
Commission in 2024.
Andrew Duff’s new book, Britain and the Puzzle of European Union, is to be published by Routledge later this year.
Read the full paper here.
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