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SUPRANATIONALISM

Today, Supranationalism is more common than ever. Supranationalism is a sort of “over” government that supplements pre-existing governments in a particular way.
The European Union is the best example of this today. Unlike in a confederal system, the EU government consists of totally separate and distinct political units that have joined together under the larger EU government that has specific areas of jurisdiction, as agreed upon by the member states.

Think about it! Why would countries join a supranational organization like the EU? In other words, what’s the benefit? Are their any drawbacks?

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WHY SUPRANATIONALISM?

There are many reasons countries join supranational organizations, though joining comes with some challenges, as well.
Strengths: Increased cooperation leads to more trade and thus more economic success for members. It also makes smaller European nations more internationally competitive by banding them all together and using the various strengths of all the nations together as one. Also, war between the members is unlikely due to their interdependence on each other. Why would Germany attach France? It needs it! Why would France attack Spain? Spain owes France money and uses its ports to trade with the world. Because of the EU, a WWI or WWII-like scenario in Europe is very, very unlikely.
Weaknesses: Coordination is difficult for logistical and communication reasons. It’s hard to move goods from Poland to Portugal! And it’s as hard to translate between Polish and Portuguese! It also requires countries to give up some of their sovereignty, or the ability to freely make choices about their own country’s governance. This is especially unattractive for larger, more economically powerful countries like Germany. Consider: Why did the UK leave? Again, they felt the loss of sovereignty over certain issues was too great, so the citizens voted to leave the EU (Brexit).

MAPPING SUPRANATIONALISM �IT’S POPULAR!

LIST OF SUPRANATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Supranational organizations exist everywhere today due to increasing globalization (whether of trade, communication, etc.). As we’ve seen, often by grouping together, member states increase their power. Here are a few major organizations:
NAFTA/UMC: The North American Free Trade Deal (renamed and renegotiated recently) is a trade bloc of Mexico, Canada, and the US.
NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance and was created after WWII to counter the influence and power of the USSR’s (Soviet Union) Warsaw Pact, a military alliance among Eastern European nations.
MERCOSUR: The Common Market of the South is a trade bloc of Latin American countries.
Trans-Pacific Partnership: A trade bloc of Pacific nations.
ASEAN: The Association of South East Asian Nations is a trade bloc/peace pact.
OPEC: The Organization of Oil Exporting Countries is a cartel of oil producing countries who attempt to control prices for their members’ benefit.
AU: The African Union is a weaker version of the EU, with trade and peace as it’s core objectives.

CASE STUDIES: COMING UP!

Let’s look at some difficult situations the EU has faced and analyze how the EU has helped make the situation better and how it might’ve made the situation more challenging.
As you read about these situations, consider what forces are at play.
What centripetal forces, or forces that unite people, are at play?
What centrifugal forces, or forces that pull people apart, are at play?

CASE STUDY #1: THE DEBT CRISIS

The European debt crisis refers to a period around 2010-2012 when some EU member states appeared to potentially be unable to pay their debts, risking default. Big problem: the debt holders for these debts? Mostly banks in Europe.
How might the debt crisis have unleashed centrifugal forces in the EU? How might the EU have served as a centripetal forces during this difficult time?
Read this article to get more details and help answer the question: What Is the European Debt Crisis? (thebalance.com)

CASE STUDY #2: MIGRANT CRISIS

In 2014, in numbers not seen since WWII, about 60 million people were considered to be forcibly displaced due to widespread conflict in the Middle East. Of those migrating to EU countries, the top three nationalities among over one million refugees were Syrian (46.7%), Afghan (20.9%) and Iraqi (9.4%).
How might the debt crisis have acted as a centrifugal force? In what ways might the EU have been a centripetal force that held Europe together during this time?
Read the article to gather details and answer the question: Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in seven charts - BBC News

SUPRANATIONALISM: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

After looking at the Debt Crisis and the Migrant Crisis, describe some ways that the EU helped these situations and ways in which it created challenges for the countries involved.
Are their any current challenges that the EU is dealing with? What role is the EU playing and what forces are at play, whether centripetal or centrifugal? Let’s investigate!
Go to European Union - The New York Times (nytimes.com) and/or EUROPA - EU Newsroom and select four current events that involve the EU. Using the provided T-Chart, note any and all possible centripetal and centrifugal forces that are at play. We’ll discuss our results once we’re finished!