ABSTRACT
This article examines the historical evolution of European unity and traces the development of the European Union from the aftermath of the Second World War to the present day. Divided into six phases, it highlights the key political, economic, and institutional milestones that have shaped the EU’s path. The study begins with the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community and the formation of the European Economic Community and EURATOM. It examines the challenges of the Cold War era, the influence of key treaties on the deepening of integration, and the expansion of EU competencies. The analysis also covers the post-Lisbon period and looks at issues such as the Eurozone crisis, the migration crisis, Brexit, and the EU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also discusses the adoption of the AI Act in 2024, progress on cybersecurity through the NIS2 Directive, and the increasing recognition of the need for a common defense strategy to ensure the security and stability of the Union. These developments underline the continued need for reforms to strengthen democratic legitimacy, cohesion, and collective security within the Union. It concludes that while the EU has made significant progress towards becoming a true political community, it must continue to adapt and evolve to address its democratic shortcomings and better meet the diverse needs of its member states and citizens. Through strategic reform, enhanced defense cooperation, and a renewed commitment to its founding principles, the EU can strengthen its unity and manage the complexities of the modern age.
REFERENCES
Collins, R. (1998). Charlemagne. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Consolidated version of the treaty establishing the European atomic energy community (2010/C 84/01). (2010). http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ
:C:2010:084:0001:0112:EN:PDF
Covenant of the League of Nations. (2011). The Avalon Project. http://avalon.law.yale.edu
/20th_century/leagcov.asp
de Saint-Pierre, C. I. C. (1713). Projet pour rendre la paix perpétuelle en Europe. Éditions de l’Institut Coppet. Duchene, F. (2004). Jean Monnet: The first statesman of Europe. New York: Norton.
European Commission. (2019). The European Green Deal. https://commis
sion.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en
European Community Treaty. (1957). Article 2. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/
TXT/?uri=CELEX:11957E
European Parliament. (2024). EU AI Act: First regulation on artificial intelligence. https:/
/www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence
European Union. (1997). The Treaty of Amsterdam, 2 October 1997. http://www.europarl
.europa.eu/topics/treaty/pdf/amst-en.pdf
European Union. (n.d.). Fundamental rights and non-discrimination. http://europa.eu/legisl
ation_summaries/institutional_affairs/treaties/treaties_maastricht_en.htm
European Union. (n.d.). History of Europe. http://europa.eu/about-eu/eu-history/19701979
/index_en.htm
European Union. (n.d.). The European Single Act. http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/
institutional_affairs/treaties/treaties_singleact_en.htm
European Union. (n.d.). The history of the European Union. http://europa.eu/about-eu/eu-history/index_en.htm
Foa, B. (2000). Europe in ruins. In M. Perry (Ed.), Sources of twentieth-century Europe (pp. 284–287). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Friedmann, W. G. (1962). The changing structure of international law. Stevens.
Jarrett, M. (2013). The Congress of Vienna and its legacy: War and great power diplomacy after Napoleon. London: I.B. Tauris & Company.
Majone, G. (2009). Europe as a would-be world power: The EU at fifty. Cambridge University Press.
Matarazzo, R. (2011). Democracy in the EU after the Lisbon Treaty. Edizioni Nuova Cultura.
Maurer, A. (2001). The Treaty of Amsterdam: Challenges and opportunities for the European Union. London: Continuum.
Mikkeli, H. (1998). Europe as an idea and an identity. Palgrave Macmillan.
Mitterrand, F., & Kohl, H. (n.d.). The letter from François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl. http://www.lfpr.lt/uploads/File/2001-8/Letter.pdf
NIS2 Directive. (2022). The NIS2 Directive explained: An overview of Europe's cybersecurity law. https://www.nis-2-directive.com/
Northedge, F. S. (1986). The League of Nations: Its life and times, 1920–1946. Holmes & Meier.
Pagden, A. (Ed.). (2002). The idea of Europe: From antiquity to the European Union. Cambridge University Press.
Penn, W. (1983). An essay towards the present and future peace of Europe: By the establishment of a European diet, parliament, or estates. Georg Olms Verlag.
Ruttley, P. (2002). The long road to unity: The contribution of law to the process of European integration since 1945. In A. Pagden (Ed.), The idea of Europe: From antiquity to the European Union (pp. 228-252). Cambridge University Press.
Schmidt, H. D. (1966). The establishment of ‘Europe’ as a political expression. Historical Journal, 9(2), 172–178.
Schütze, R. (2012). An introduction to European law. Cambridge University Press.
Sheehan, M. (1996). The balance of power: History and theory. London: Routledge.
Sullivan, R. E. (2010). Charlemagne. Britannica Biographies, 6.
Thompson, M. P. (1994). Ideas of Europe during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Journal of the History of Ideas, 55(1), 57–58.
Weiler, J. (1991). The transformation of Europe. Yale Law Journal, 100(8), 2457–2458.