Challenges to the nation-state in the context of European integration: an overview of the tension between citizenship rights and neoliberalism

ABSTRACT

Neoliberalism has had a profound impact on the relations between the state and citizens, namely in the enjoyment of their rights. In the context of European integration, citizenship is conceptualised and practiced as a multi-level attribute, posing both challenges and opportunities, for its fulfilment. The article engages with this multilevel and multifaceted nature of citizenship in the European Union, reflecting the contested role of the nation-state in a globalised neoliberal context, as well as the consequences at the local and individual levels. The impacts on the exercise of citizenship in this context is a central concern of this article, focusing on how neoliberal globalisation has affected state-citizen relations, particularly in the context of European integration. As European integration faces a critical moment, European civil society has engaged in citizen-based organisations and movements seeking to challenge the limits of the existing political structures and demand a more participative role in society and politics.

KEYWORDS:

• Citizenship
• nation-state
• rights
• European integration
• neoliberalism
• civil society

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Evangelos Fanoulis for the insightful and helpful comments on the version presented at the 2015 UACES Annual conference, Bilbao, Spain. The authors would also like to acknowledge that research leading to these results has received funding from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN-ETN) of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement ‘CASPIAN – Around the Caspian: a Doctoral Training for Future Experts in Development and Cooperation with Focus on the Caspian Region (642709 – CASPIAN – H2020-MSCA-ITN-2014).

Notes

1 These rights were only granted to migrant workers from other members of the European Communities (EC), de facto creating a barrier between those in and those outside the EC.

2 See Follesdal and Hix (2006) and Chryssochoou (2010), among others.

3 In 1973, at the European Council in Copenhagen, the Heads of State issued a declaration on European Identity, and the Tinderman's report on the European Union was also released, both contributing to the idea of a political dimension of the European integration process, where the issue of citizenship and democratic participation had to be reinforced. In 1975, the European Commission release a report named ‘Towards a European Citizenship’, furthering the debate. See Martiniello (1994).

4 In case the European Commission validates the Initiative proposal it may take steps in order to adopt legislation on the topic according to the established procedures.

5 Initiative proposing an European legislative framework aimed at phasing out animal experiments.

6 Initiative calling for the juridical protection of the dignity, the right to life and of the integrity of every human being from conception in the areas of EU competence in which such protection is of particular importance

7 Initiative inviting the European Commission to propose legislation implementing the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations, and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all.

Additional information

Funding

The author would like to acknowledge the support granted by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation under its Strategic Project [UID/SOC/50012/2013].