Autonomy-Community-Suzerainty

Abstract

The first part of this article offers a critique of Andrew Moravcsik's and Alan Milward's attempts to present theories to replace neofunctionalism, arguing that Moravcsik's framework of `liberal intergovernmentalism' is short on explanatory power while Milward's `rescue of the nation-state' thesis is short on evidence. The second part substitutes a triangular model of Autonomy-Community-Suzerainty for the conventional dichotomy of sovereignty and supranationality employed by integration scholars. States aim to maximize control — meaning autonomy for oneself and suzerainty by oneself over others — if this can be achieved without detriment to other objectives. They may opt for community, however, in order to rid themselves of suzerainty or to prevent autonomy by other states whose actions may affect themselves positively or negatively. The third part applies the triangle to the history of European integration, showing how it can shed light on the ECSC, the EDC, the EEC, the internal market, and monetary union.