Bulletin n. 1/2015
June 2015
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Schmidt-Felzmann Anke
    Is the EU’s failed relationship with Russia the member states’ fault?
    in Europe en formation (L') , n° 374, 2014/4 ,  2014 ,  40-60
    The year 2014 saw a rapid and serious deterioration of the EU-Russian relationship. This sudden breakdown of the ‘strategic partnership’ caught many observers by surprise. This article investigates the reasons for the EU’s failure to develop mutually beneficial cooperative relations with Russia. It investigates the claim that the EU’s internal divisions and special bilateral ties of EU member states with Russia are responsible for the EU’s difficulties. The article demonstrates that the EU’s disunity is a contributing factor, but does not fully explain the EU’s weak performance regarding Russia. A number of additional factors help explain the EU’s shortcomings: a (misplaced) belief in the positive transformative power of cooperation; the deep-seated fear of a military confrontation with Russia; weaknesses that stem from the EU’s special nature as an international actor and, finally, the limited credence given to the views of the smaller member states that are Russia’s geographic neighbours.
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