When the Treaty of Lisbon went into effect in December 2009, the event seemed to mark the beginning of a longer phase of institutional consolidation for the EU. Since 2010, however, the EU has faced multiple crises, which have rocked its foundations and deeply challenged the narrative of 'the end of the history of integration'. The military crisis in eastern Ukraine and the refugee crisis call for a joint approach, but in practice reveal the difficulty of maintaining even the appearance of European solidarity and political unanimity. The financial and socio-economic crisis in southern Europe and Brexit present the EU with the latest set of challenges. If seventy years of European integration have taught us anything, it is that fundamental crises as well as moments of rapid institutional change form integral parts of its history. 'The Unfinished History of European Integration' presents the reader with historical and theoretical knowledge on which well-founded judgements can be based.
Author Bio
Wim van Meurs (1964) is full professor for European Political History at the Radboud University Nijmegen. His teaching and research interests are European neighbourhood and enlargement policies, East European history and politics, and environmental policies.
Robin de Bruin is Assistant Professor of European Studies at the University of Amsterdam, with a current research focus on the relationship between decolonization and European integration. He lectures on Modern European History, including European integration.
Liesbeth van de Grift (1978), Assistant Professor of the History of International Relations at Utrecht University. She lectures on the history of the European Union and currently focuses on rural and environmental governance in Europe.
Carla Hoetink (1980), Assistant Professor at the Radboud University in Nijmegen specializing in the history of political institutions in the Netherlands and the EU.
Karin van Leeuwen (1981), Assistant Professor of European Studies at the University of Amsterdam, where she lectures on the History of European Integration and Europeanization, with a focus on the history of European (constitutional) law.
Carlos Reijnen (1975), Associate Professor of East European Studies at the University of Amsterdam. His teaching and research focuses on East-West relations in Europe and the EU.
