Something New: A Rejoinder to Frank Schimmelfennig on the New Intergovernmentalism

Abstract: Schimmelfennig's critique rests on three key premises. First, he questions how ‘new’ the new intergovernmentalism is by arguing that the tendency towards integration without traditional forms of supranationalism pre-dates the post-Maastricht period. Second, he argues that the EU has evolved in a direction that is more supranational than intergovernmental over the past two decades. Third, he questions whether the new intergovernmentalism meets the standards expected of theories in EU studies.
We take issue with each of his three points. Schimmelfennig is uneasy with our prefix ‘new’, but he gives us little reason to revisit our claim that the post-Maastricht period is distinct from earlier periods of integration. We find his own use of the terms ‘intergovernmental’ and ‘supranational’ to be problematic and this reinforces our belief in the need for fresh thinking about these traditional categories. Finally, his dismissal of our hypotheses as not testable betrays a methodological dogmatism which we have deliberately steered clear of in our collaborative work on the new intergovernmentalism.