Two-Speed, Multi-Speed and Europe's Future : A Review of Jean-Claude Piris on the Future of Europe

This book is timely, concerning as it does the future of the European Union, written when the political, economic and legal fabric of the European Union is under particular strain as a result of the financial crisis that began in 2008. The author is someone to be listened to in this regard. Jean-Claude Piris was for many years the consummate insider, rising to be head of the Council Legal Service. He has, however, maintained an interest in the broader academic issues that underpin the polity that was his home for so many years, and has always been willing to recognize the shortcomings in the established status quo. His analysis of the current malaise and suggestions for how it might be alleviated should therefore be taken seriously, more especially because he advocates recourse to a two-speed European Union. This review begins by elaborating Piris’s argument. The remainder of the review raises questions about central aspects of the thesis