Interdependence and contestation in European integration

The past years has seen a dramatic rise in the contestation of the European Union and its policies. This article seeks to understand this rise as a result of the way in which we ‘do’ integration. This method, which heavily relies on the use of law to prevent the creation of negative externalities among the Member States, has increasingly limited the scope for political self-determination within and between the Member States. The ensuing contestation, it is argued, cannot solely be resolved by re-assessing the role of law in the process of integration, but requires a significant institutional reconfiguration as well.