Alternative governance models: “hard core” in a differentiated Europe

The discussion on the future of Europe has been mainly focused on policy regimes and not (also) on governance models for managing them. An economistic bias has largely affected the proposals on the future of Europe advanced by EU and national leaders. The article brings the governance question back to the debate. Using a deductive approach, it identifies four governance models, and their connected policy implications, epitomizing different interpretations of the EU and its future. Two models are derived from the interpretation of the EU as regional organization and the other two from the interpretation of the EU as a federation in the making. Through the four governance models, the article aims to structure the discussion on the future organization of Europe on more solid, logically and empirically, bases.