This paper is the special issue framing paper. It takes as its point of departure that the relationship between federalism and the study and practice of European integration is complex and composite. It starts by providing and assessing reasons for why there has been so little emphasis on (comparative) federalism in the EU context. This is not only a matter of neglect; it is also a matter of distortion. Especially the political debate on the EU has been overly inclined to equate federalism with integration, because of the notion that the only viable manifestation of federalism would be a federal state. Such a view neglects federalism’s complex and perhaps even contorted relationship to sovereignty and to some extent even statehood. In an increasingly interconnected and globalized world where sovereignty and statehood undergo deep transformations, there might be a potential for reinvigorating our thinking about federalism. The European inclination has been to look for alternatives, with the particular emphasis being placed on the notion of multilevel governance (MLG). We discuss the merits and possible limits of this alternative approach to federalism. In the final part we provide a set of reflections on how best to approach the issue of lesson-drawing from federal practice and for federal theory.
