The Worlds of European Constitutionalism

The idea of the EU as a constitutional order has recently taken on renewed life, as the Court of Justice declared the primacy of EU law not just over national constitutions but also over the international legal order, including the UN Charter. This book explores the nature and character of EU legal and political authority, and the complex analytical and normative questions which the notion of European constitutionalism raises, in both the EU's internal and its external relations. The book culminates in a dialogical epilogue in which the authors' arguments are questioned and challenged by the editor, providing a unique and stimulating approach to the subject. By bringing together leading constitutional theorists of the European Union, this book offers a sharp, challenging and engaging discussion for students and researchers alike.

Introduction Gráinne de Búrca and J. H. H. Weiler; Prologue: global and pluralist constitutionalism - some doubts J. H. H. Weiler; 1. The European Union as an international legal experiment Bruno De Witte; 2. The place of European law Neil Walker; 3. The ECJ and the international legal order: a re-evaluation Gráinne de Búrca; 4. Local, global and plural constitutionalism: Europe meets the world Daniel Halberstam; 5. The case for pluralism in postnational law Nico Krisch; Dialogic epilogue J. H. H. Weiler.

Addresses the lively contemporary debate about the nature and limits of EU law's primacy over both national and international law. Leading EU constitutional scholars thoroughly analyse the EU's legal and constitutional character and authority, providing a sharp and engaging discussion for students and scholars of EU politics and law.

Gráinne de Búrca is a Professor at Harvard Law School.
J. H. H. Weiler is President of the European University Institute, Florence. He is a Professor at the National University of Singapore, having previously held a position at the New York University School of Law.