As a supranational construct, European citizenship needed a period of conceptual adaptation and practical consolidation. This study explores how citizenship of the European Union has been approached from a political, legal, theoretical and social point of view during its three decades of existence. From a theoretical point of view, the post-national and neo-functionalist approach provides the conceptual tools necessary for a deeper understanding of both the role that the EU Court of Justice played in the consolidation of European citizenship, as well as the way in which the member states have readjusted their relationship with citizens. This study explains why citizenship is a gain of European integration. However, the European integration project remains reversible without a permanent strengthening of the relationship between the EU and European citizens.
Cite this article
Alexandrescu, M. (2023). European Union Citizenship and Its Avatars. In Alexandrescu, M. (ed.). Citizens of the European Union. Status, Identity and Beyond. Presa Universitară Clujeană. pp. 13-37.
