dr. Mircea Codruţ MARIN^

Abstract. While the importance of the European Union is assumed as a common good beyond any dispute, the question of individual satisfaction of each member state still remain. Since Lisbon reform (Treaty of Lisbon 2007), many members made their dissatisfaction be heard sound and clear. The Visegrad Group states individual and common positions suggest that Eastern countries (except Poland all of them being small size countries with weak voting power in the new European decision making algorithm, and with lower chances to form by them own a winning majority in the Council) are less satisfied than their Western counterparts by the common policy decisions. As Brexit vote indicated clearly, the European promise of peace and harmony cannot replace rational choices and individualist cost vs benefits judgements in the decision to support the integration process. As weak voting power associates with East side members and strong voting power with the West side members we may presume that we witness a new European clivage. As clivages occur naturally they determine states to react and shape international relations. The Franco-German clivage determined the two world wars and imposed as solution the European integration process. The solution of this clivage yet does not exclude the occurrence of others.