Path Dependencies in European Integration : a Constructive Response to German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer

Abstract

There is no doubt about the political necessity of the Eastern enlargement of the Euro-pean Union and corresponding reforms of its political institutions. By contrast, the shape and content of these reforms are highly contested between the member states. In this context, the German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, has presented his visions of future development for Europe which were refreshingly welcome. However, Fischer's ideas imply, in many respects, a turning away from hitherto accepted paths to European integration. The main claim we want to make in this paper is that, against the backdrop of this breech with the present European-level institutional system, the chance that the Fischer initiatives could come to political fruition must be viewed with skepticism. On the basis of this finding, which rests essentially upon a historical-institutionalist analy-sis, we develop an alternative concept for a European constitution.