Dans quelle mesure les crises du Brexit et de la guerre en Ukraine ont-elles transformé les modes de décision du Conseil européen, redéfinissant à la fois la légitimité politique de l’Union européenne et son ambition d’autonomie stratégique ?

Details

Supervisors

Arens, Nicolas

Faculty

Institut d'études européennes Saint-Louis

Degree label

Master de spécialisation interdisciplinaire en études européennes (horaire décalé)

Abstract

enThis study analyses how the Brexit crisis and the war in Ukraine have transformed the European Council’s decision-making processes, whilst redefining the European Union’s political legitimacy and its ambition for strategic autonomy. It shows that these two crises, although distinct in nature, have both reinforced the central role of the European Council in the governance of the Union. Brexit appears to be an internal and existential crisis, revealing the possibility of a deliberate disintegration of the European project. Faced with this rupture, the European Council has established itself as the guarantor of the unity of the Twenty-Seven, by strictly overseeing the withdrawal process and prioritizing legitimacy based on stability, respect for the treaties and the protection of the common interest. The war in Ukraine, for its part, constitutes an external, security and geopolitical crisis. It has accelerated the transition from a primarily normative Union to one that is increasingly compelled to assume a strategic role. Against this backdrop of urgency, the European Council has coordinated sanctions, support for Ukraine, energy responses and defence policy. This dynamic confirms the institution’s effectiveness in a crisis, but also reveals the limitations of a largely intergovernmental system, characterized by the concentration of decision-making at the top and by tensions surrounding transparency, democratic participation and the unanimity rule. The study highlights a structural dilemma between decision-making efficiency and democratic legitimacy. Whilst the European Council enables the European Union to achieve unity and coherence in times of crisis, this centralized role alone does not guarantee lasting political legitimacy. Finally, the war in Ukraine gives a more concrete dimension to European strategic autonomy, particularly in the fields of defense, energy and industry, whilst demonstrating that this ambition remains dependent on compromises between Member States and the Union’s ability to overcome its structural vulnerabilities.