A constructivist approach to understanding the European Union as a federal polity

Constructivist approaches emerging in the field of international relations may be used to develop better federal theories for EU analysis by refocusing attention on political practices, intersubjective meanings and informal norms. Conversely, the detailed analysis of the EU which has been generated by using federalism as a theoretical prism, the rich theoretical tradition of federalism and policy-makers' common understanding of the EU in federal terms provide international relations scholars with a productive medium for gaining a better understanding of the emerging European polity.