| Project/Area Number |
17530131
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
International relations
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| Research Institution | Takasaki City University of Economics |
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Principal Investigator |
YOSHITAKE Nobuhiko Takasaki City University of Economics, Faculty of Regional Policy, Professor (80240266)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2007
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2007)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2007: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
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| Keywords | Political Science / EU / EU Constitution / Referendums / Nordic Countries |
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| Research Abstract |
This 3-year Project was held from April 2005 to March 2008, when the EU faced the development, stagnance and breakthrough of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe. France and the Netherlands failed to ratify the Treaty in 2005 and after a long period of reflection, the EU achieved a new treaty, the Treaty of Lisbon, in 2007.
This process of ratification showed significance of referendums in the decision-making of the EU. Referendums have been often used on the EU matters since 1990s. 10 referendums were held and were planned to be held to ratify the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, leading to more legitimacy of the Treaty in the EU. This was an unusual way of ratification of the EU Treaties.
However, the elite in the EU member states realized that ratification by referendums was very risky way after the French and Dutch referendums in 2005. As a result, most of the member states chose to ratify the Lisbon Treaty by parliaments instead of referendums. Thus, an unfavorable wind blows for referendums in the EU now. It is more important for the EU to bridge the perception gap between the elite and the people, which will be an essential point of the future integration of the EU.
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