Dilemmas in managing the expanding EU: the EU and applicant states’ points of view

In this article, certain problems and dilemmas in the search for a system of managing the European Union (EU) are presented with respect to the problems and dilemmas in identifying one model of regulation that would fit a variety of entities creating a common supranational economic and political system. Based on certain historical lessons from multinational states, it is argued that there are many important factors involved in the creation of a viable and sustainable supranational model of regulation. They include a comparable level of wealth of the socio-political units involved, the democratic principles used in that model, the creation of supranational social integration, the democratic political culture of the political elites in the socio-political units involved and the preconditions for viable elements of consociate democracy. Whereas within the EU a rational approach to the question of managing the deepening and expanding EU has only started to gain in importance as an internal, domestic issue (especially focusing on the homogeneity of the socio-political units involved with regard to their economies and levels of welfare, the fulfilment of political criteria and the acceptance of acquis ), the applicant states seem to be focusing mainly on integration as an international relations issue in becoming part of the EU, which is itself growing as an economic and political world power.