Abstract: European integration is at a turning point with implications for all member states and their citizens. The Amsterdam Treaty marked a shift towards constitutional issues. Integration has involved a continually evolving process of constitution-making. A group of leading scholars argues that the shift towards constitutional issues is rooted not only in the issues on the European level but also in shifting models of political and economic organization in the member states. Paradoxically, however, this push towards integration is accompanied by a number of institutional changes and political decisions, which challenge the picture of ongoing integration and indicate a shift towards a new pluralism in the Euro-polity. The contributors address questions such as what are the likely effects of the Amsterdam treaty changes in comparison with Maastricht?; How will these changes affect the complex balance among the governing institutions of the EU?; And what will be the implications for the lingering quest for democracy?

Keywords: constitution, European integration, governance, polity, citizens, intergovernmental politics, membership, pluralism, policy-making, Treaty of Amsterdam