Institutionalization Of European Integration And Transformation Of Regional Order In Europe

European Integration is a significant event with great sense during the history of international relations in 20th century. The institutionalization of unification among European states, from idea to practice and from intergovernmentalism to supranationalism, is not only the essential dimension of integration, but also the vital guarantee for the further deepening and broadening. Within the framework of institutionalization, EU member states begin to gradually give up war as a main or even first means to solve the inter-state conflicts, the peace among them gets more and more promise and reinforcement. On the other hand, by the ways provided by the institutionalization of integration, non-state actors are trying to play a more important role. Various domestic economic and social groups from member states selectively transfer their expectation and activities to European level, forming more and more important transnational groups. Led by the supranational institutions, they are active in persuading respective governments in their domestic democratic political system, to calm themselves down in conflicts and adopt problem-solving model of cooperation rather than bargaining step by step. However, the influence of above non-state actors depends mainly on the government, whereas they do not have related ability to achieve their goals. But it does not follow that they do not have the will to get their own power. It is very likely that with the further development of integration, the state, market and society will share power and loyalty within EU and the situation of three pillars argued by new medievalism will turn up, which reflects the obvious phenomenon of post Westphalia on the continent where the Westphalia system itself was born. This is a collective manifestation of the reality of contemporary international relations within a particular region and a possible future of world politics. What is more, it is also an important challenge and opportunity for theories of international relations.The first part of the thesis focuses on the definition of three basic concepts, namely integration, institutionalization, and regional order. It emphasizes the European characteristics of integration taking the form of supranational institutions, concerns the horizontal impact of institutionalization on international relations, and put forward three different dimensions of the meaning of regional order, that is to say, peace, cooperation and new medievalism, on the premise of clear actors and in the framework of continuous institutionalization of integration. After reviewing various institutionalism in economics, political science and international relations, the second part tries to construct an analytical framework of institutionalization applied to this thesis, which argues that institutions act on the interests of actors and affect their actions and the results, by the means of providing constrains and opportunities and in both calculus and cultural approaches. The third part makes a brief comment on institutional factors in neo-functionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism and new institutionalism, and argues that the above constructed framework makes great progress in explanation. In the fourth part, the author discusses in detail how institutionalization constructs regional order within EU, concerning war and peace, conflict and cooperation, and the new medievalism. Finally, the thesis refers to some experiences of European integration which may be helpful to researches and practices of integration in other regions of the world.