Evaluation and Conclusions

This final chapter summarizes the main findings from the four empirical chapters. Going beyond the individual case studies, it also explains the broader theoretical and empirical implications of the case studies. The chapter then turns to the present-day EU and briefly assesses the four most recent European integration crises, namely Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy emergency, and the rule-of-law crisis. Finally, the chapter puts this book’s theoretical model and empirical findings into a broader perspective by scrutinizing other, in parts competing or secondary, explanatory factors and explanations. While the three theorized factors demonstrated great explanatory power throughout the different case studies, the level of existing integration at the time of a major crisis turned out to be highly relevant too.