This volume investigates the complex intersection of political identity and institutional legitimacy within the framework of the European Union. The editors, Sonia Lucarelli, Furio Cerutti, and Vivien A. Schmidt, assemble a collection of scholarly contributions that examine how the EU constructs its political identity and whether its current governance structures possess sufficient democratic legitimacy to sustain long-term integration. The work utilizes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on political theory, sociology, and institutional analysis to evaluate the challenges facing the European project in an era of increasing skepticism.

Experts in the field of European studies recognize this text as a rigorous academic resource for understanding the structural tensions of the EU. Readers frequently note the high level of theoretical density, making it a suitable reference for graduate-level research and political analysis.