Is there an East-West divide in the European Union?

From the way the media reports on European Union negotiations, it is easy to get the impression that there is a rift between East and West European member states, and that the enlargement of the EU  has compromised the EU’s decision-making capacity. In a text published at the EUROPP blog, I argue that there is no systematic evidence to support such claims:

“…in fact, against all odds, since 2004 the EU has managed to accommodate and integrate without much turbulence 13 new member states within its decision-making structures. This success is most remarkable and provides an important lesson for the future; a lesson that should not be overshadowed by the forthcoming exit of the United Kingdom from the EU.”

Read the whole thing; it has pretty pictures, too.