On September 12, 2012, a psychological threshold was reached
in the E.U. on the way toward “ever closer union.” That is to say, at the end of that day Europeans could feel an overdue sense that come what may, the euro would be protected. Moreover, the E.U. (at least for the states willing to sign up for greater E.U. enforcement of state deficit and debt limits) would proceed along with further incremental
shifts of governmental sovereignty from the states to the union thereof. The sense of relief was
palpable in Europe as state and federal officials as well as commentators and citizens breathed a
collective sigh of relief.
Most pressingly, the constitutional court of the state of
Germany announced that that state could in fact contribute to the fund to
bailout indebted states. The court held that the state legislature would have
to pass any increases because the further integration of the E.U. must not be
allowed to proceed without commensurate democratic legitimacy and the rule of
law. The President of the E.U. Parliament observed that this holds at the E.U.
level as well.
The
complete essay is at Essays on Two Federal Empires.
