This distinctive new text provides an overview and assessment of key debates about the political character of the EU. Arguing that it is best seen as an international organization - albeit of a particularly integrated kind - Paul Magnette shows how the need to accommodate a range of state interests shapes the EU political system and assesses the implications for its democratic functioning; for institutions and policy; and for Europeanization and integration.

PAUL MAGNETTE is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for European Studies, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. He also teaches at Sciences-po, Paris, Frannce.

Introduction
Europeanization and its Limits
Policy-making in a Union of States
Cooperation and Conflict: The Union and its States
Competing for Leadership: Commission Vs Council
Building Compromise in a Divided Polity
Representation and Accountability: A Semi-Parliamentary Regime
In the Shadow of the Law: Politics and the Court
Politics and the People: A Fragmented Public Sphere
Participation and Citizenship: Towards a Trans-national Democracy?
Conclusion: The Union, Its Nature and Value.