Consensus seems to be the dominant feature of much political debate today. The issues that constitute major ideological fault lines between parties are few and far between. The question of European integration is an exception. Throughout Europe, governments and political parties are divided about the nature, status and shape of the Europe that is taking form. The debate is often conceived in terms of naive enthusiasts and xenophobic skeptics, but behind these caricatured extremes serious and important questions are being asked about the future of the European enterprise.

The Debate on Europe is a collection of essays by some of the leading authorities and commentators on Europe, addressing a full range of issues in the debate, from the enlargement of the EU, or the Maastricht convergence criteria, to controversies over 'federalism' and democratic accountability, or the international competitiveness of the European 'bloc'. The contributors include:

Exploring the key dynamics and fractures in the European Union in their political, constitutional, economic and cultural manifestations, this book will be an invaluable guide to all those who seek a rich and representative map of the range of debate on Europe, and will serve as a stimulant to a serious engagement with the possible trajectories of the project of further integration.

Peter Gowan is Principal Lecturer in European Politics at the University of North London. He is on the editorial boards of New Left Review and Labour Focus on Eastern Europe. Perry Anderson is editor of New Left Review.

Publication
June 1997

224 pages

Paper
1 85984 142 2
£12.00 / US$20.00