ABSTRACT
This chapter explores member state constellations regarding the prospects for the future of Europe debate. It does so against the backdrop of a crisis decade, the 2010s, and as a new crisis – the COVID-19 pandemic – brought new challenges. In the first section, I offer an overview of the assumptions, derived from critical integration theory, that lie behind the analysis in the chapter. I then focus on the historical role played by the Franco–German relationship in shaping the trajectory of European integration. In arguing that an accommodation between these two states will be a necessary (but not sufficient) prerequisite if the EU is to accomplish reforms, I turn to the current state of Franco–German relations on EU reform. I focus also on Germany, arguably the most consistent advocate of deeper integration across decades, and therefore a critical case for the impact of domestic political contestation on the reform debate. Finally, I widen the lens and return to the constellations of divisions across the EU and consider the challenges for the future of Europe debate, including the options discussed in the 2017 White Paper, including in light of the developing COVID-19 pandemic.
