United in Diversity? The Political Implications of Intra- EU Migration

Intra-EU migration is a phenomenon innate to the structure of the European Union. A politico-economic union of twenty-eight countries, the EU does what no other alliance of countries has endeavored before, serving as a unique product of globalization and integration, in every sense of the word. Bound almost entirely by a common currency, the European Union is established in the belief that economic cooperation in Europe can be achieved through the principle of free movement, despite each member states’ individual way of life, language, and political, religious, and cultural ideology. Since intra-EU migration allows for the possibility of EU integration and spans virtually every country within the Union, the question is how has intra-EU migration impacted the relationship of EU member states and the larger project for “ever- closer union”? Will and can the EU be an institution founded on the notion of collaboration for economic prosperity, or will the interests of the nation state obstruct the EU’s ability to transcend cultural differences? Exploring these two questions, and the sub-questions implicit within them, this thesis aims to reach a sounder comprehension of the political impact this stream of migration has across the EU