Preferences, Power and Institutions in 21^st-century Europe

After twenty-five years, few scholars still dispute the leading role of Liberal Intergovernmentalism (LI) in theorizing EU history. Yet some question whether it can explain Europe's recent evolution. This article argues that LI retains its place as a ‘baseline’ integration theory. It is uniquely able to provide credible micro-foundations of EU decision-making, which even theories ostensibly critical of LI borrow. It offers a richer set of innovative opportunities for forward-looking extension than is often thought. Compared to competitors such as Post-Functionalism and Historical Institutionalism, LI generates more consistently satisfying empirical accounts of recent EU policy-making, particularly with regard to the outcomes that ultimately matter most, namely substantive policies. And it remains a trustworthy guide to normative evaluation, for example on the issue of democratic legitimacy. The future of integration theory lies in creatively elaborating LI and, where possible, crafting more rigorous syntheses with alternative accounts.