La natura «meravigliosamente ambigua» del sistema dell’Unione europea: profili comparati tra modelli internazionali, federali e confederali.

Drawing on research conducted as a Visiting Professor within the framework of the «Teoria de Complexidade Estatal – Ciclo de Lições Internacionais» master’s programme at the Universidade de Fortaleza (UNIFOR),his article examines the distinctive nature and complexity of the European Union legal order. It argues that the originality of the EU system lies, in large part, in its ability to defy traditional categories of public law and international law. An analysis of the structure, functioning and evolution of the EU legal system reveals that it selectively incorporates elements drawn from both state-based and international models, while simultaneously departing from them, thereby forging an autonomous and innovative constitutional trajectory. This hybrid configuration – if not, ambiguous essence – has played a crucial role in the success of the European integration process. The analysis adopts a comparative perspective, with particular reference to international organisations as well as federal and confederal systems.