La cittadinanza sociale europea: un percorso incompiuto

The article deals with changes taking place in the European integration process, with particular reference to European citizenship. On the one hand, the paper examines contradictions in the original definition of the status of European citizen. On the other, new limitations impacting on rights to free movement are considered in the context of serious economic and financial problems which have combined with strong anti-European forces to create fears about loss of sovereignty on the part of some EU member states. Particular emphasis is given to the real risk of a major legal and political de-legitimisation of European citizenship, driven both by challenges to the right to freedom of movement which derives from that citizenship, and from a nationalist drift within European society. This drift is characterised today by a distinction, as clear as it is unjustified, between “dynamic” European citizens (so-called “movers”) and those who are considered “static”.