Page 1 - The European Union Supranationalism

“The European Union Supranationalism”

Analysis of „L’Europe face au fédéralisme“ (1949) by Michel Mousklhely

(Summary)

The supranationalism, as a form of inter-state relations, has specifically been

attributed to the EU, as supranationalism is a key for understanding the Union’s legislative
and institutional arrangement. Europe’s recent history demonstrated that the Union which
is administered by the supranational model may deliver impressive results in terms of
economic prosperity and social protection, may safeguard Human Rights and fundamental

freedoms, while guaranteeing lasting peace, progress and development for its member
states.
In EU documents, the term “Supranational”, for the first time, has been used in

1951, in the text of the treaty establishing European Coal and Steel community. Since then,
Supranationalism has become a driving engine of Europe’s democratic transformation and a
building block of the European Union.
Our previous works, namely the guide-book „Seven Steps for Comprehending the

European Union“ discusses supranationalism in details. Yet, it fails to give information
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about the origins of this phenomenon. The guide-book also does not answer the following
questions: which theoretical discussions gave push to using supranationalism as a tool for

constructing the future Europe? Why did the supranationalism become the main idea
behind the European Unification?
A comprehensive work of 1949 „L’Europe face au fédéralisme“ by a French scholar
and politician of Georgian origin Michel Mouskhely (Mikheil Muskhelishvili; 1903-1964)

provides exhaustive answers to such questions. The Mouskhely concept of “Federalization
of Europe” provides key messages for explaining the Supranational character of the
European Union.
In his theory, Michel Mouskhely uses various elements of the classic Federation in

order to design United Europe’s legal and institutional set-up. He writes: “Federalism is not
an already composed music. It is an art. Like the musician who uses the notes for
composing his melody, a federalist skillfully uses the various pieces of the federalist
technique to create a balanced order.”

1 https://worldpresence.eplo.int/wp-content/flipbooks/7Steps/mobile/index.html
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