Name :
Date :
1. What dimensions define a “successful” EU integration?
Answer:
Success is measured along four dimensions: economic performance, legal alignment
(acquis compliance), domestic/popular acceptance, and external validation by EU
institutions. Integration is multi-dimensional and not reducible to economic indicators
alone.
2. How is economic integration assessed?
Answer:
Through GDP growth, market access, and adaptability to EU competition. Examples
like Slovakia (adopting the Euro) and Czechia (retaining Koruna) offer natural
experiments for comparison.
3. What does legal alignment require beyond legislation?
Answer:
Post-2004, it requires not just adopting EU laws but ensuring their implementation and
enforcement, measured via CJEU rulings and infringement procedures.
4. Why is internal acceptance vital for integration?
Answer:
Public support ensures sustainability of reforms. Without domestic legitimacy, EU laws
may be resisted, or become politically weaponized, undermining long-term cohesion.
5. How do external actors gauge readiness for accession?
Answer:
Via ex-ante conditionality and regular monitoring. Over time, the EU has introduced
more criteria, lengthening the process and creating more hoops for candidates.
6. Why does the author describe integration as “easy” when one understands it?
Answer:
Because successful integration depends on clarity of objectives and genuine political
will. Ambiguity about the EU's future direction breeds hesitation or selective
compliance.
7. Is there a definitive model of EU integration success?
Answer:
No. Success varies by context. What works for Estonia may not work for Romania,
depending on societal cohesion, administrative capacity, and political leadership.
