Elmar Brok

Since the entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the European power structure has been in a transformational phase. This new power structure has to find its balance. However, the great winner is the European Parliament through its great gain in power. The author explains, using the example of the European Parliament"s INTA Committee, that the European Parliament has evolved from a side actor into a major player in the field of EU foreign relations. New rights and authorising possibilities are clearly presented. But, nonetheless, the author also critically points out that the European Parliament should not miss out on its potential. The Parliament should consider its possibilities in trade policies within the overall context of EU foreign relations and thus provide the EU with greater influence and democratic legitimacy on the world stage.

Wolf J. Schünemann

The second Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on the 2nd of October 2009 was won with an over two thirds majority. Thus, it revised the negative vote one year before. This article examines the debate in the run-up to the polls. Thereby, it follows a discourse-analytical approach which is seldom used in political science and may be seen as complementary to the established methods of election studies. Leaning on Radical Constructivist assumptions, the referendum is regarded less as an electoral act than as an election campaign. The speakers engaged and the essential arguments articulated in the campaign are analysed to test the hypothesis that the economic situation in Ireland can be seen as the main factor to explain the swing of opinion.

Sarah Borgloh and Friedrich Heinemann

The non-profit sector has gained substantial economic importance in Europe, and European politics has recognised the potential of this sector. Better knowledge of this sector is however essential to defining European strategies which could further enhance this potential. Against this background, a comparative analysis of the non-profit sector in selected member states of the European Union is conducted. The article explores how the structure and size of the sector in seven European countries may be explained by means of established economic theories on the existence of non-profit organisations. The empirical findings are consistent with theoretical predictions, whereas differences between countries may be ascribed to historical peculiarities and path dependencies. Finally, concluding remarks on the role of the European Union in further developing the potential of the non-profit sector to better cope with upcoming challenges are made.

Paul J.J. Welfens

The Greek crisis has triggered a broader stabilisation crisis of the Eurozone. As regards the crisis management, hesitant policy measures for supporting Greece have reinforced the problem; at the same time, the supporting package was much too small. The Eurozone countries have created a new framework for Euro-stabilisation which is useful for fighting short term speculation; however, this approach will not overcome structural problems. A stabilisation of the Eurozone and the EU is possible: it requires a few careful steps towards reform.