European Union Institutions and Identity

What Does It Mean to Be “European”?

  • Institutions of the European Union.
  • Date: May 5, 2025

The European Union

  • A federation of 27 member countries.
  • Two primary levels of government:
    • National governments of the member countries
    • EU level institutions

Identification as "European"

  • Only a minority identify primarily as “European”.
  • Demographics:
    • Primarily European identifiers:
    • Come from the highest socio-economic groups in their society.
    • Business owners, professionals, younger generation.
    • Highly educated, speaking 2nd and 3rd languages.
    • Approximately 15% of Europeans.
    • Strictly national identifiers:
    • Come from the middle to lowest socio-economic groups.
    • Blue-collar, service, and office workers.
    • Lack university education.
    • Approximately 45%.
    • Primarily national, secondarily European identifiers:
    • Approximately 40%.

European Identity vs. National Identity

  • European Identity:
    • Secular (non-religious).
    • Multi-cultural.
    • Socially liberal/tolerant.
    • Supports women’s rights.
    • Supports rights of LGBTQ community.
    • Protects rights of minorities.
  • National Identity:
    • Traditional (social, cultural, religious) values, although not necessarily politically “conservative”.
    • Celebration of national history and traditions.

EU Accountability

  • Key Questions:
    • Does the EU represent the interests and values of its citizens?
    • Do citizens of the EU feel that the EU is accountable to them?
    • Do EU-level institutions and the politicians that serve in them work to meet the demands of EU citizens?

EU Political Institutions

  • Key Institutions:
    • European Council
    • European Parliament
    • Council of the European Union
    • European Commission

European Council

  • Role:
    • Decides major policy.
    • Handles crises.
  • Composition:
    • Made up of the presidents or prime ministers of EU member countries (EU Head of State).
  • Function:
    • Sets the overall political direction and priorities of the EU.

European Parliament

  • Size:
    • 705 members currently (720 in the 2024 election).
  • Election:
    • Each member country elects members to the European Parliament.
    • Number of members is roughly proportional to a country’s population within the EU.
    • Smallest countries get more representatives than population alone would dictate.
    • Germany gets 96 seats; Estonia gets 7 seats.
    • Reallocation of United Kingdom’s 73 seats occurred after Brexit.

2024 European Parliament Elections

  • Participation:
    • 27 states participating.
    • Turnout: approximately 50%.

Functions of the European Parliament

  • Responsibilities:
    • Passing, amending, or rejecting laws proposed by the European Commission.
  • Turnout:
    • Turnout in European Parliament elections has been <= 50% since 1999.

Council of the European Union

  • Role:
    • Upper chamber of the European Parliament.
  • Composition:
    • Brings cabinet members into the picture.
    • 27 members, one from each of the member state cabinets.
  • Collaboration:
    • Together with the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union must pass the EU budget.
    • This is their most important institutional power.

European Commission

  • Role:
    • EU Executive or “Government”.
    • “The Guardian of the Treaties”.
  • Composition:
    • 27 commissioners, one from each country.
    • President of the Commission (nominated by European Council).
    • Currently Ursula von der Leyen.
    • President and members of Commission must be approved by European Parliament.
    • Each commissioner supervises one or more Commission department – EU ministries.
    • Each department has an administrative head, the Director-General.
    • The Director Generals are the highest-level civil servants in the European Commission, and therefore EU
    • The Director Generals are career civil servants

Functions of the European Commission

  • Roles:
    • “Guardian of the treaties”.
    • Administrative institution of EU
    • Law-making institution of the EU
  • Powers:
    • Can only propose in areas explicitly identified by the EU treaties.
    • Drafts the EU budget.
    • All proposals of the Commission must be reviewed, accepted or rejected by the European Parliament & Council of the European Union.

Geopolitical Context

  • War in Ukraine threatens several EU member countries.
  • As of 2023, all EU members except Sweden are members of NATO.

Political Accountability

  • Degree to which people can identify accurately the political party or politicians responsible for particular decisions and/or policies.
  • Degree to which they can remove those responsible for actions they don’t like.

Influence and Representation

  • Visual representation of votes and influence from Public to EU Levels across French National Assembly, PM & Cabinet to French President.
  • Council of the European Union, European Council, European Commission all meet in Brussels, except European Parliament which also meets in Strasbourg.
  • Members include key EU countries like Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Hungary, Denmark, and Ireland.

France's Position in the EU

  • Historical Context:
    • 1986-1995 Seats in European Parliament: ~15% compared to ~11% today.
    • French President had more influence on European Council when France was 1 among 12 instead of 1 among 27 member countries today.

2024 European Parliament Elections

  • Dynamics:
    • Each country’s domestic political parties join like-minded parties from other EU member countries to form the party groups in the European Parliament.

Financial Contributions

  • GNI = Gross National Income
  • Member countries contribute approximately 0.7% of their GNI to the EU budget.