Teaching Comparative

Legitimacy

I've been having an e-mail conversation with a former student about the concept of legitimacy. The topic came up in a course he was taking and during a trip he made to Vietnam last spring.

I was reminded of the topic when I saw this BBC article about the EU's plans to deal with border security. A transnational organization like the EU has to achieve some legitimacy just like any government, regime, or state. The primary "audience" is the group of member states. But if the EU is going to function effectively, citizens and the rest of the international community need to see the organization as a legitimate actor as well.

In teaching about this idea, I'd ask my students to read this article and identify the actions and policies that the EU Commission is taking to maintain the perceptions of legitimacy by all three audiences. I might also ask them what actions or policies would probably cause those audiences to see the EU as an illegitimate actor.

EU plans emergency border squads

"A plan to create rapid reaction teams of border guards to deal with European Union immigration crises has been unveiled by the European Commission...

"The plan would help the EU respond to appeals for assistance, such as Spain's request in May for help dealing with African migrants in the Canary Islands...

"All border guards would wear their own national uniforms - with an armband identifying them as members of a joint EU rapid reaction team - but would be temporarily under the control of the host state.

"The Commission says that planning such an operation is currently complicated by a muddle of different national laws in each member state governing what tasks foreign border guards can fulfil.

"It says rapid reaction teams should be able to patrol the border, and to check and stamp the travel documents of anyone crossing it...

"The Commission also approved on Wednesday a list of priority policies to tackle illegal immigration.


"These include a new system for registering the arrival and departure of non-EU citizens visiting the EU, making it easier to verify whether someone has 'overstayed' his or her visa.

"Mr Frattini [EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom, and Security pictured at right] said he would also be studying whether to legislate to 'harmonise' sentences in member states for people caught employing illegal immigrants.

"The commission also says it will prioritise action against illegal trafficking, and further deals with third countries to allow migrants to be returned to their point of departure for the EU."


[I am enamored (enamoured?) with the way the Brits and the Europeans use the word "harmonise."]

posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:34 AM