Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 49 n. 2 Rio de Janeiro 2006
Abstract
This article explores the reasons behind the fact that European institutions have decided to establish a new Constitutional treaty, while portions of the national societies have shown signs of resistance to it. The hypothesis is that causes similar to those involved in previous crises, like Maastricht, also help explain the current crisis, and that problems of supranational legitimization should also be elucidated by the analysis of transnational articulations in the region. By verifying distortions in the social perception of the role of institutions and the Constitution and the growth of the extreme right in Europe, interpreted in the historical context of integration, we highlight the importance of identity and the relationship between the lack of social unity and the movements against integration, calling for a change in the current dimensions of European politics.
Keywords: European Union, European Constitution, collective identity, extreme right
DOI: 10.1590/S0011-52582006000200005
Why not a european constitution?