Unia Gospodarcza i Walutowa a pogłębienie integracji politycznej państw Unii Europejskiej

Abstract

Formation of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) by Member States of the European Union (EU) is one of crucial events in the process of European integration. A group of States resolved to give up their own currencies and to introduce a single, common one – Euro. However, the EMU has been a political affair as well, rather than just economic one, political issues being very significant both in terms of its reasons and effects. One of political aspects of the EMU is about the question: is it going to promote political integration among the EU Member States? The article discusses and analyses how the EMU may influence an intensified political integration in the EU. It points out reasons likely to contribute to consolidate the integration according to the neo-functionalist theory of integration and its key element, i.e. the “spill-over”. As history of monetary unions teaches, political factors tend to be very significant for their persistence.