One step forward, two steps back? The treaty of Maastricht and the prospects for the European Union

ABSTRACT

This article falls into two parts. The first part presents an analysis of the causes of the Treaty of Maastricht. It is seen as the culmination of a process of European integration begun in the early 1980s, overlaid by the reaction of European leaders to the break‐up of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Changes in the international system and the domestic politics of the member states are interpreted as providing the opportunity for the relaunching of European integration. The entrepreneurship of the Commission converted these opportunities into a reality. After presenting a synopsis of what was agreed at Maastricht the second part of the article provides an analysis of the new European Union. It is argued that the new Union suffers from constitutional confusion. Moreover, the people of Europe have not been offered an adequate opportunity of articulating their opinions on the Union. Thus the new Union may have difficulty in gaining legitimacy.