The idea of the EU as a constitutional order has recently taken on renewed life, as the Court of Justice declared the primacy of EU law not just over national constitutions but also over the international legal order, including the UN Charter. This book explores the nature and character of EU legal and political authority, and the complex analytical and normative questions which the notion of European constitutionalism raises, in both the EU's internal and its external relations. The book culminates in a dialogical epilogue in which the authors' arguments are questioned and challenged by the editor, providing a unique and stimulating approach to the subject. By bringing together leading constitutional theorists of the European Union, this book offers a sharp, challenging and engaging discussion for students and researchers alike. Addresses the lively contemporary debate about the nature and limits of EU law's primacy over both national and international law. Leading EU constitutional scholars thoroughly analyse the EU's legal and constitutional character and authority, providing a sharp and engaging discussion for students and scholars of EU politics and law.
'This is an illuminating collection of innovative essays about the EU's struggle for constitutional authority in a world of ever more overlapping legal regimes and competing claims of authority both in the European Union and on the global level. The editor's 'Dialogic epilogue' with the authors is an intellectual treat, and a highlight of this collection of excellent chapters.' Ulrich K. Preuß, Hertie School of Governance