EIRP Proceedings, Vol 9 (2014)

Abstract

The European Union, an organization built on the ruins of the Second World War the desire to curb the war on the continent once and for all, was doomed from the beginning to end in one day political contours, so Europe is now united policy at the core of the future of Europe. This aspiration has become increasingly manifest in the adoption in 1992 of the Treaty of Maastricht, culminating today with the debate on the European Constitution. .

"Europe" today was forged from the beginning of the ruling political elites and not the citizens. Is it possible to continue this course today? Unlikely.  Heated discussion and criticism Union because its democratic deficit proves. In this political construction, representative democracies appear only in the 70s, with the first election of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage and with the enunciation of Fundamental Rights (the “European Charter of Fundamental Rights “adopted in 1999 by the European Council Cologne ).

Moving to Europe in focus from political and intellectual elite minority to all citizens in Europe is shifting from an artificial construct a new translational and supranational entity legitimate consent of its citizens responsible and interested in European public life, from one entity legal abstract and removed from everyday life to a true European society whose citizens will be connected through new networks of solidarity. Talking about European citizenship is part of the broader theory and political philosophy, legal and sociological.

East European citizenship a recent concept (established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992) born of an old idea (dating approximately from the 40s) that refers to a reality uncertain and inconsistent. Holders of European citizenship are nationals of Member States of the European Union.

Citizenship as a concept has a content both political (the right of citizenship Fortress defining an individual's personal status) and legal (on the set of subjective rights that an individual may invoke). Existential condition of citizenship is the ability to have rights (individual rights as positive theory of law) and be able to implement them. As a consequence, European citizenship exists to the extent that its holders can enjoy rights derived from this status.

Keywords: citizens, European, European society