Description: This book gathers leading international scholars to examine the institutional choices and innovations of the Lisbon Treaty and discuss the likely effects of the changes that it set out to accomplish. Will the changes meet the declared goals of a more efficient and democratic Union which will allow the EU to act internationally with greater coherence and efficiency? If institutions matter, how much do they matter? How significant is the Lisbon Treaty? What kind of leadership will be available in the post-Lisbon EU?
Review Quotes: 'Theoretically brilliant and empirically strong. A multifaceted and detailed account of the changes introduced in the political framework of the EU by the Lisbon Treaty. Contrasting different perspectives on the hottest issues faced by the EU in the 2010s, such as the financial crisis, and less known fundamental issues of EU internal and external policies and politics.' Jacques Ziller, University of Pavia, Italy, European University Institute and Sorbonne University, France 'This book provides us with an exceptional insight to the Lisbon treaty and its institutional changes. The significance of the Lisbon treaty is thoughtfully examined, and offers a unique understanding of the achievements and failures of the treaty. This remarkable book offers a critical view of the treaty and contributes valuable analysis to the reader. Laursen has again produced the standard work on a new EU treaty.' Kjell A. Eliassen, Norwegian School of Business - BI, Norway. 'This study provides us with an in-depth and systematic analysis of the institutional choices of the Lisbon Treaty. Combining an account of the Treaty changes with a first investigation into their implementation, it provides highly valuable insights not only for scholars but also for practitioners dealing with the EU institutions.' Sophie Vanhoonacker, Maastricht University, The Netherlands