6.6.5 Multinational Political Groupings such as the EU

(This is an archived extract from the book Patterns of Power: Edition 2)

Multinational political groupings are defined here as comprising more than one country but not having power over the world as a whole. The European Union (EU), for example, has created a structured relationship between its members for their mutual benefit; and some other structured relationships are also beginning to emerge along similar lines (5.3.5.1).

This definition excludes alliances and coalitions which have a mainly military function; these are classified as forms of Self-Protection and form part of the next chapter (7.2.7).

The following analysis uses the EU as an example. It is divided between the rationale for having the EU (6.6.5.1), the benefits of its collective decision-making (6.6.5.2), its structure and political accountability (6.6.5.3), and the issue of growing hostility towards it (6.6.5.4), which is only partly to do with its cost (6.6.5.5). The issues of democratic accountability (6.6.5.6) and possible changes for a ‘multi-speed’ EU (6.6.5.7) are also examined.