Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights some of the central dilemmas of the EU without at the same time ignoring the more harmonious areas of positive growth. The three dilemmas central to the book relate to the construction of European social policy, to democracy or its absence at the European level, and to the thorny problems involved in the external relations of the EU. The book is devoted to the dilemmas surrounding democracy and European integration. Democracy at the EU level raises two distinct dilemmas. The first concerns the relation between democracy and the market. The second relates to democracy versus elitism. The significance of the EU is not limited to its internal development but also extends into the external realm. There are two received wisdoms concerning the relationship between democracy and the market.