The dilemma of governance with Government

Abstract:

'European Governance: A White Paper' represents a major attempt at 'institutional self-reflection'. This paper examines the implications of the co-existence of 'governance' at the EU level with 'government' at the national level. It then advances two arguments about the basic assumptions which underlie the White Paper. The first has to do with the assessment made by the Commission of the basic state of integration, its acceptance across the Member States, and the implications of national diversity for thinking about governance. The second addresses the issue of whether the Commission has understood the possible implications of its desire to reach out to associations of regional and local governments and various actors within civil society in a 'reinforced culture of consultation and dialogue'. It concludes by arguing that the lack of 'government' at the EU level needs to be taken very seriously by the Commission as it examines its future role in a Europe in which national capitals and national diversity are going to influence what 'governance' can actually accomplish .

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