The Institutional Design of the European Union After Lisbon

The essay analyzes the European Union's institutional structure as a result of the significant changes imported by the Treaty of Lisbon and the failure of the European Constitutional Treaty. In particular, all the typical categories of constitutional law are examined, such as sovereignty, the democratic principle and the democratic deficit which accompanies the study of the European Union, as well as the division of powers. Also, it analyzes the issues of internal and external representation of the Union, with all its unresolved problematic aspects, as well as the roles and the powers of all institutions (Parliament, Commission, Council, European Council, the Court of Justice) and their evolution in practice, in relation to the European form of government. Finally, the European political system is analyzed, in light of the role of the European political parties.