ABSTRACT
The widespread popular backlash against the Maastricht Treaty and further integration took European and national leaders by surprise. Opposition to the Maastricht Treaty reflected the general crisis of political institutions in Europe in the early 1990s. Voting against the Maastricht Treaty was a convenient means of punishing unpopular leaders, or entire political classes, that were closely associated with the treaty. Motivated largely by the desire to integrate Germany, the Maastricht Treaty set the deadline of 1999 for achieving full Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Full membership in the European Union (EU) would mean that the citizens of Eastern European countries would be free to move throughout the Community in search of employment. Beyond the 1996 conference, several key issues will play an important role in the future of European integration. These issues include enlargement, the democratic deficit, and the continued German problem.
