European Politics Essay Example for Free

European Politics Essay European Union has a evolutional history. Many Countries struggle to attain Independence’s this the only aim of the European Nations’struggle? This paper has discussed the reasons there struggle some being to attain Independence, others needed to be autonomous and others wanting to unite with Russia. They faced many challenges, and were organized in parties. European politics is involved with the continuous political evolution. Due to the high political unity amongst European states as well as the state’s long history, European politics is more detailed compared to other continents. The European political make-up has been contributed to by its historical events, culture, economy and its geographical location. European Union is dominant in the modern European politics. This occurred since the collapse of the Eastern Bloc of communists’ states and the fall of iron curtains. After World War II the EU expand towards the East and included 27 states as members. These states are represented in the European parliament. European has been undergoing political transformation even since 1763 to 1787. After the seven years’ war (1756-63) there was a stability period of peace. In 1702-1714, there was the war of the Spanish succession, and this was after many years of the great World War. This war took fifty years. Some British and French statesmen had tried to create a long lasting peace by use of collective security, but the old contests had not stopped after the Utrecht-Rastatt’s peace and some more including Northern Europe, Germany, Near East and Italy developed in the succeeding decades. It was in the seven years’ war of 1756-63 when a climax of forty years of imbalance of struggle for power was reached. This war was bigger than the war of Spanish succession and more blood was shed, and ended up with its fighters tired of fighting and exhausted. The results were decisive in continental theatres as well as in maritime, but in varying at up. Spain was defeated by Britain in the fight for colonies and seas control defeated France on sea, and by Prussia on land. This made France to collapse financially. The aggressive spirit of King Frederick the Great of Prussia was decreased at the end of war. European states are part of the international organizations which are political and economically. Almost all European states are members of European council which is the only Pan-European organization. The activities of the European council are programs that harmonize regulations and law amongst the member state in citizenship, bioethics. Heritage protection the linguistic and cultural minority right among others. In other terms the council can be related to regional version state jointly related to government and national union. It plays role as a market, with customs union, common policy in Agriculture and Fisheries as well as acting as a single currency with thirteen of its twenty seven members adopting. This union constitutes the largest economy worldwide consisting 2007 nominal GDP of 15. 849 million USD. The union primarily started as an economic union before evolving into a political policy, and this has been contributed by the many political areas within EU competence. There has been a debate between and within some member states concerning more development in political competence of EU. There was a military alliance of European states together with United States of America and Canada, commonly known as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was founded as a collective security as a result of World War II. This alliance targeted to provide defense incase the Soviet Union attacked the European allies of United States. The attack was to be treated as if it had attacked the United States bearing in mind it was composed of the largest military. They expected to get the best defense, but the Soviet never invaded Europe, instead the alliance was involved in September 12th 2001, responding to the previous day’s attack on the United States. GUAM organization for Democracy and Economic Development was formed to counter the Russia’s influence in that area. This group constituted four common wealth independent states (CIS) that is Georgia, Ukraine, Azerba-Ijan and Moldova, though it was encouraged and backed up by the United States. It reached a time when it appeared to have ceased its operation but there is a possibility to revive its operation through developments. The common wealth of the independent states (CIS) has few supranational powers, but it’s a symbolic organization that has power to coordinate trade, security, law making and finance. It came up with a full-fledged free trade zone between its members, who are 12 states of 15 states of former Soviet Union, excluding Baltic States, in 2005. This confederation has enhances cooperation on democratization and has prevented cross border crime. In devolutionary pressures, movements requiring independence or autonomy varied in politically and popularity support depending on campaign, and the kind of movements Georgia has two region and wanted to join with Russia, in Italy, there was a small independent movement, and the Lega Nord, the Italian political party, supports, blamed southern Italy for blocking progress and getting tax funds away and condemned them as racial nationalist group. On the other hand it supported the Northern Italy. Italy is to be divided into two countries, the North and the South. In Netherlands, Frisian National party sought autonomy for Friesland without caring about Fresian culture and without striving for total independent. Transylvania belonged to Austria-Hungary before the Treaty of Triarion. There is small minority Hungarian ethic who felt like reuniting with Hungary. These are habitants of Romania. The North Caucasus border of Russia, supports has movements in search for independence. The English Democrats in United Kingdom saw the need for England to devolve. In United Kingdom is composed for a mixture of many parties with different wills. In this state, there are movements and parties that needed independence and at the same time some parties wanted to be incorporated in the Republic of Ireland thus saw not need of the province being in the union. After the election of Victor Yuschenko as a president some areas in Ukraine wanted to join Russia. Ukraine did not only have movements that wanted complete independence, but also the urge to get higher autonomy, after uniting with Russia. Though some autonomous regions of Spain are peaceful, they violently acquired the peace. In 2006, there were international negotiations to define final status of Kosovo a Serbia’s province, which all through had territorial and political dispute between its ethnic population and the Serbian government organization. In 1532, some movements in Northern France lost independence, and they wanted to regain it. These countries in the State had different needs as pertains the movement’s nature or rather composition to the kind of campaign. These needs or rather goals varied from attaining autonomy, attaining independence or the need to reunite with Russia. The Unions’ membership enlargement poses a political issue trying to know from the diving the extent at which the block should move. The block location in terms of size and the fear of the block moving very far and including other regions created a challenge to the European Union. European nation is divided into council, parliament council of European Union and commission. The commission has the mandate to Rome up with registration and the use of law each member state is represented by a member. President comes from the commission. The union’s prime minister has different powers with the president Directorate-General (DG) and commissioner, but they have similar roles. The councils have no delegated power to the union’s supranational institutions, and have no treaties official power. The head of state has similar roles to council. Legislative branch of the union incorporate parliament and council, whose formation differs as in the parliament is elected directly while the council is formed and mainly of national ministers. Insensitive areas have lower control of national minister. The powers in the union are given according to pillars. These pillars are usually three; the first one being that of community, the second is Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) while the third is ‘Police and Judicial Cooperation in Criminal matters (PJCC). Just to mention, the 1st First pillar entails common Fisheries poly, Agricultural policy, Environmental law, Immigration Poly, Education and culture among others. The second pillar has security policy and foreign policy and the third pillar deals with human beings trafficking Fraud and bribery, terrorism, weapon smuggling among others. Each pillar’s principles differ on intergovernmental and supranational basis, supranationalism being higher in 1st pillar. After every five years by adult suffrage, votes are casted. Despite having no voting system, there should be a ratio in representing either singly or under a party the area at which the votes casting is done can be in whole or subdivided, and election threshold should be below five percent. The European law requires to be bound to. The union makes legislative acts and all its members are expected to bind to a direct applied law (regulation, a framework of objectives in which a national law in order to achieve its goals, and a decision based on particular issue are the key forms by which a union can present its legislative acts. (HayMenon,2007). European bases their constitution texts on their treaties. The role of the European treaties is to form institution which are given aims of the union, which are set also by the treaties and the institution should always aim at attain the set aims. Currently the European integration is under four treaties, namely; the Treaty of European nation which was put to work in November 1993 after it was signed on 7th February 1992 in Maastricht. This treaty was involved with security policy and Home Affairs. The Treaty showing European Economic Community (ECC) which was put into action on 1st January 1958 and was signed at the same time with Euratom treaty, in Rome on March the 25th of 1957, and due to the place at which it was signed, its usually also referred to as the Treaty of Rome. The treaty of Paris was put to work on 23rd day of July 1952 but expired on 23rd day of July 2002. It was signed on the 18th day of April, 1951, and was involved with putting into place the European steel and coal community. The forth treaty was involved with the development of European atomic Energy community which is commonly referred to as Euratom Treaty and was signed at Rome on the 25th day of March, 1957. There were times when these treaties expired or required additional or subtraction of some of its terms and roles thus the need for changes and reforms. European political party is obliged to operate transitionally in the state, and is usually funded and recognized by the European Union. Their formation is usually bases on partly parties in the whole Europe. As per the European parliament and commission as there were ten (10) recognized parties by 2006, namely European People Party which was the first to be formed, then the European Socialist Party was formed, followed by European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, the Free Alliance European Party, the European Areas Party, Alliance for Europe of the Nations, European theft party, European Democratic party, Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe and EU Democratic, which were formed respectively. These parties mostly consider co-operating and working as a coalition as this makes them stronger and gives the party a chance to get higher financial fund rate from the parliament at the same time ensuring they have access to committee’s seat which an independent party can afford to access due to the cost. To enhance the uniting of parties, however requires that the member states votes for the Groups MEPs should not be less than one-fifth, that its MEPs can create a group of their wish, that all MEPs in a group should be registered in only one group and that, a groups MEPs should be of the same political goal. It’s only after fulfilling these requirements that two groups can join and unite to for a coalition thus enjoying the privileges. The Groups can either be organized from many European parties, national parties or be made of MEPs of a single European political party. An Account of the changes that the European Socialist Parties have undergone since the Second World War. European Socialist Part (PES) in a party in the European political party composed of equal number of labor, social democratic, and socialist parties from members’ states of European Union and also from Norway. The socialist party constitutes socialist group in parliament which is composed of more than 200 MEPs thus making the group to be second largest, in the European parliament. This socialist group was there since 1953 and the socialist party was formed back in 1992. Ever since it’s the party held the largest single group position in the parliament. After the party’s formation in 1953, socialist party Henri Spaak was elected first president, with Guy Mollet elected the first bureau and secretariat apart from being the chair. The socialists attempt to produce a common European socialist’s program in 1961 being outlaid by an enlargement application. Despite their congress trying to enhance more democratization, and parliament powers in 1962, it took them longer than they expected since this was considered in 1969, after Kate Strobel MEP winning the 1st woman chair. They continued to achieve and rule and in 1971’s elections saw their member, Walter Behrendt as the second parliament president. It took few years since then when other states joined the community and brought with them some more parties, which enlarged the community as well as the congress. These states included Ireland, United Kingdom and Denmark and after meeting they made social policy in which they were entitled to democracy, equality and give them the right to work in the European economy. Elections were carried out again in 1975, and socialist Georges Spe’nale was as the parliament’s president. After the union with Ireland, Denmark and United Kingdom, a confederation of the European communities’ socialist party was formed. Their was an election manifesto, which the confederation signed after the parliaments first direct elections in 1979, and the manifesto objective was aimed at ending discrimination, promoting peace, fighting pollution and ensuring the ability to decent work among others. They were the largest group in the parliament. Two years after the direct election, its first status was signed and they united with other states like Greece, Portugal and Spain made this party to increase. It did not take the Group long before they saw the need and the privileged of cooperation; in 1987 they cooperated with people’s party group thus increasing their number. (Grolier, Inc, 2002). In 1992, the already existing confederation was changed to party of European socialist, whose manifesto had more issues to deal with compare to the election manifesto and the added areas included gender equality, fighting organized crimes and democracy among others. The party had its second leader in the 1994’s election after the party won two hundred and fifteen (215) out of the available six hundred and twenty six (626). After a five year period of ruling, the parliament refused to sign for approval of the commission’s EU budget handling, and this lead to crisis. This was because of the allegation of corruption made to two of the socialists’ members. The socialists tried to bloc the order made by the commission that the member’s concerned had to resign, by their president trying to vote confidence vote in the commission, since the PES took the issue as a false allegation made to stop them from participating in the year’s election. Since socialist were the majority they were on the government side, they decided to stop helping or rather supporting the other party thus facilitating santer commission’s to resign. After the five years of ruling, elections was carried out, the socialists lost the votes to people’s party with the winning party attaining two hundred and thirty three the socialists had only one hundred and eighty. In the 2004 elections the socialist party lost once more by getting only two hundred seats in seven hundred and thirty two seats. The European Political history has been an evolutional process. The struggle was aimed at either attaining independence, or becoming autonomous. The European politics is composed of the parliament headed by a President from a party with the majority seats, the commission, and a council. Each of its constituent has its mandate and powers. The Socialist’ Party headed in the parliament longer till 1999.