What is the relationship of the liberal citizen
to these regimes? Do citizens owe a legal
duty only to their national state or does their
obligation extend to the larger formation as
well? In most if not all cases, the regime’s
rules are binding on the citizens of the
member states either directly or indirectly (i.e.
through their own state); enforcement of the
regime’s rules, however, is almost always left
to the member states, which have to enforce
rules against their own citizens. The situation
is somewhat clearer with respect to rights
created by the supra-national regime. Some of
these rights – for example, under the European
Charter of Human Rights and similar instru-
ments – are enjoyed directly by citizens (or
legal aliens) of member states, who can
enforce them against their states. Apart from
legal duties and rights, is the liberal citizen
likely to feel a growing sense of loyalty or
affective identification with the supra-national
regime, as many young and cosmopolitan
Europeans are said to feel toward the EU?
Answers to this question will only emerge
over time (Caporaso, 2000).