Download or read book Why Europe Matters written by John McCormick and published by Red Globe Press. This book was released on 2013-06-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critics like to depict the European Union as undemocratic and unpopular, but their arguments are too often based on myths and misunderstandings. This does us all a disservice, and in this period of uncertainty about the future of Europe it is more important than ever that we have a firm grasp of the issues at stake. This powerful new book debunks the misconceptions surrounding the EU and makes a compelling and comprehensive case for the benefits of European integration. It shows how the EU has improved the lives of Europeans in countless ways, and how it has given Europe a powerful presence on the international stage. Guaranteed to illuminate as well as spark debate, this book will appeal to anyone who seeks to better understand what Europe means and why it matters.

Download or read book Towards an Imperfect Union written by Dalibor Rohac and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-04-22 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In today’s Europe, deep cracks are showing in the system of political cooperation that was designed to prevent the geopolitical catastrophes that ravaged the continent in the first half of the twentieth century. Europeans are haunted, once again, by the specters of nationalism, fascism, and economic protectionism. Instead of sounding the alarm, many conservatives have become cheerleaders for the demise of the European Union (EU). This compelling book represents the first systematic attempt to justify the European project from a free-market, conservative viewpoint. Although many of their criticisms are justified, Dalibor Rohac contends that Euroskeptics are playing a dangerous game. Their rejection of European integration places them in the unsavory company of nationalists, left-wing radicals, and Putin apologists. Their defense of the nation-state against Brussels, furthermore, is ahistorical. He convincingly shows that the flourishing of democracy and free markets in Europe has gone hand in hand with the integration project. Europe’s pre-EU past, in contrast, was marked by a series of geopolitical calamities. When British voters make their decision in June, they should remember that while Brexit would not be a political or economic disaster for the United Kingdom, it would not solve any of the problems that the “Leavers” associate with EU membership. Worse yet, its departure from the European Union would strengthen the centrifugal forces that are already undermining Europe's ability to solve the multitude of political, economic, and security challenges plaguing the continent today. Instead of advocating for the end of the EU, Rohac argues that conservatives must come to the rescue of the integration project by helping to reduce the EU’s democratic deficit and turning it into an engine of economic dynamism and prosperity. For the author’s video on Brexit, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFReUnO05Fo

Download or read book The Left Case Against the EU written by Costas Lapavitsas and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2018-12-05 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many on the Left see the European Union as a fundamentally benign project with the potential to underpin ever greater cooperation and progress. If it has drifted rightward, the answer is to fight for reform from within. In this iconoclastic polemic, economist Costas Lapavitsas demolishes this view. He contends that the EU’s response to the Eurozone crisis represents the ultimate transformation of the union into a neoliberal citadel that institutionally embeds austerity, privatization, and wage cuts. Concurrently, the rise of German hegemony has divided the EU into an unstable core and dependent peripheries. These related developments make the EU impervious to meaningful reform. The solution is therefore a direct challenge to the EU project that stresses popular and national sovereignty as preconditions for true internationalist socialism. Lapavitsas’s powerful manifesto for a left opposition to the EU upends the wishful thinking that often characterizes the debate and will be a challenging read for all on the Left interested in the future of Europe.

Download or read book Federal Europe written by Ronald William Gordon Mackay and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Case for Europe written by Philippe de Schoutheete and published by Lynne Rienner Publishers. This book was released on 2000 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Case for Europe sets out the basic rationales and characteristics of the process of European integration that we have been witnessing for half a century. Philippe de Schoutheete, for ten years Belgium's permanent representative to the European Union, demystifies the structures of the EU, the basic forces and reasons that make it work, and the strengths and weaknesses of what has been achieved. He also points to the difficult questions the Union now faces: When to act? How best (and whether) to project power? How to respect diversity and reconcile competition and solidarity?

Download or read book Transforming Europe written by Maria Green Cowles and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2018-08-06 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does the European Union change the domestic politics and institutions of its member states? Many studies of EU decisionmaking in Brussels pay little attention to the potential domestic impact of European integration. Transforming Europe traces the effects of Europeanization on the EU member states. The various chapters, based on cutting-edge research, examine the impact of the EU on national court systems, territorial politics, societal networks, public discourse, identity, and citizenship norms.The European Union, the authors find, does indeed make a difference—even in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. In many cases EU rules and regulations incompatible with domestic institutions have created pressure for national governments to adapt. This volume examines the conditions under which this "adaptational pressure" has led to institutional change in the member states.

Download or read book Fighting Discrimination in Europe written by Mathias Möschel and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-09-13 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The member states of the EU have only very recently begun to consider race and racism in the framework of equality legislation and policies. As opposed to an established Anglo-Saxon tradition of naming races and using racial categorisation to fight racism, most continental European countries resist this approach. This book investigates the problematic reception and elaboration of race as a socio-legal category in Europe. Fighting Discrimination in Europe takes a fresh and interdisciplinary look at the normative, theoretical and concrete problems raised by the challenge of devising and enforcing policies to combat race discrimination in Europe. It engages with the juridical and political spheres, from the international level down to concrete cases of state and city policies. As the multifaceted relationship between race, discrimination and immigration is explored, new normative positions and practical approaches are developed, and new questions raised. This collection presents important new research for academics, researchers, and advanced students of Ethnic Studies, Migration Studies, Legal Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, and Policy Studies. This book was originally published as a special issue of Ethnic and Racial Studies.

Download or read book The Battle for Europe written by Thomas Fazi and published by Pluto Press. This book was released on 2014-02-20 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Battle for Europe brings into sharp focus the historical importance of the current political, economic and social turmoil in Europe. Thomas Fazi explains what has happened in Europe following the financial crash of 2008 as a classic case of economic shock doctrine – and the first instance in history where such 'therapy' has been applied to an entire continent. Fazi argues that the EU's insistence on pursuing austerity – despite its failure as policy and the creation of human suffering – shouldn't be viewed simply as a case of short-sightedness, but as an attempt by the wealthy elite to do away with the last remnants of the welfare state and complete the neoliberal project. As well as offering an urgent critique of the EU as currently constituted, The Battle for Europe showcases a programme for progressive reform, drawing on the experience of movements and groups such as the popular left party SYRIZA in Greece.

Download or read book Transport for a Sustainable Future written by John Whitelegg and published by *Belhaven Press. This book was released on 1993-11-26 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents well-grounded arguments concerning the current shortcomings of European transport policy based on a philosophy which regards transportation as much more important than the consideration of movement, modes and networks in isolation. Congestion in cities, effects of traffic on health and the environment, social distribution of mobility, access to jobs and medical facilities are among the topics discussed.

Download or read book Rick Steves Postcards from Europe written by Rick Steves and published by Rick Steves. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Postcards from Europe, Rick Steves takes you on a private tour through the heart of Europe - introducing you to his local friends and sharing his favorite travel moments - from the Netherlands through Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, with a grand Parisian finale. Whether you're dreaming in an armchair, have packed, or are unpacking, Postcards from Europe will inspire a love of travel, of Europe, and of Europeans.

Download or read book The Future of Europe written by Michael Kaeding and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-06-26 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a Foreword by the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani. This book sheds light on the political dynamics within the EU member states and contributes to the discussions about Europe. Authors from all member states as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey assess how their country could get more involved in the European debate, taking the reader on a journey through various political landscapes and different views. The chapters cover issues ranging from a perceived lack of ambition at the periphery to a careful balancing act between diverse standpoints at the geographical centre. Yet, discussions share common features such as the anxiety regarding national sovereignty, the migration and border discourse, security concerns as well as the obvious need to regain trust and create policies that work. The book contributes vigorously to the debate about Europe in all capitals and every corner of the continent, because this is where its future will be decided.

Download or read book Why Did Europe Conquer the World written by Philip T. Hoffman and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-01-24 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The startling economic and political answers behind Europe's historical dominance Between 1492 and 1914, Europeans conquered 84 percent of the globe. But why did Europe establish global dominance, when for centuries the Chinese, Japanese, Ottomans, and South Asians were far more advanced? In Why Did Europe Conquer the World?, Philip Hoffman demonstrates that conventional explanations—such as geography, epidemic disease, and the Industrial Revolution—fail to provide answers. Arguing instead for the pivotal role of economic and political history, Hoffman shows that if certain variables had been different, Europe would have been eclipsed, and another power could have become master of the world. Hoffman sheds light on the two millennia of economic, political, and historical changes that set European states on a distinctive path of development, military rivalry, and war. This resulted in astonishingly rapid growth in Europe's military sector, and produced an insurmountable lead in gunpowder technology. The consequences determined which states established colonial empires or ran the slave trade, and even which economies were the first to industrialize. Debunking traditional arguments, Why Did Europe Conquer the World? reveals the startling reasons behind Europe's historic global supremacy.

Download or read book Europe s Last Chance written by Guy Verhofstadt and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2017-01-03 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the heart of Europe's current crisis, one of the continent's foremost statesmen issues a clarion call to radically remake the European Union in the mold of the United States' own federal government Europe is caught in its greatest crisis since the Second World War. The catalog of ills seems endless: an economic crisis spread through most of Europe's Mediterranean tier that has crippled Greece and driven a wedge between northern and southern Europe; terrorist attacks in Paris, Cologne, Brussels, and Nice; growing aggression from Russia in Ukraine and the Baltic states; and refugees escaping war-torn neighbors. The European Union's inability to handle any of these disasters was a driving factor in Great Britain voting to leave, and others may soon follow. The result won't just be a continent in turmoil, but also a serious threat to American and British security-the Atlantic, let alone the Channel, simply isn't big enough to keep European troubles in Europe. For everyone's sake, Europe must survive. The question is how. In Europe's Last Chance, Guy Verhofstadt-former prime minister of Belgium and current leader of the liberal faction in the European Parliament-provides the essential framework for understanding Europe today, laying bare the absurdity of a system in which each member state can veto legislation, opt in or out of the Euro, or close borders on a whim. But Verhofstadt does not just indict the European Union, he also offers a powerful vision for how the continent can change for the better. The key, argues Verhofstadt, is to reform the European Union along the lines of America's federal government: a United States of Europe strong enough to stand with the United States of America in making a better, safer world. A visionary book from one of today's luminaries of European leadership, Europe's Last Chance is a clarion call to save the European Union, one of the world's greatest chances for peace and prosperity.

Download or read book Religious America Secular Europe written by Peter Berger and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-11-18 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Europe is a relatively secular part of the world in global terms. Why is this so? And why is the situation in Europe so different from that in the United States? The first chapter of this book - the theme - articulates this contrast. The remaining chapters - the variations - look in turn at the historical, philosophical, institutional and sociological dimensions of these differences. Key ideas are examined in detail, among them: constitutional issues; the Enlightenment; systems of law, education and welfare; questions of class, ethnicity, gender and generation. In each chapter both the similarities and differences between the European and the American cases are carefully scrutinized. The final chapter explores the ways in which these features translate into policy on both sides of the Atlantic. This book is highly topical and relates very directly to current misunderstandings between Europe and America.

Download or read book The Idea of Europe written by Anthony Pagden and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-04-04 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses how a distinctive 'European' identity has grown over the centuries, especially with the EU.

Download or read book Brexit and Beyond written by Benjamin Martill and published by UCL Press. This book was released on 2018-01-29 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brexit will have significant consequences for the country, for Europe, and for global order. And yet much discussion of Brexit in the UK has focused on the causes of the vote and on its consequences for the future of British politics. This volume examines the consequences of Brexit for the future of Europe and the European Union, adopting an explicitly regional and future-oriented perspective missing from many existing analyses. Drawing on the expertise of 28 leading scholars from a range of disciplines, Brexit and Beyond offers various different perspectives on the future of Europe, charting the likely effects of Brexit across a range of areas, including institutional relations, political economy, law and justice, foreign affairs, democratic governance, and the idea of Europe itself. Whilst the contributors offer divergent predictions for the future of Europe after Brexit, they share the same conviction that careful scholarly analysis is in need – now more than ever – if we are to understand what lies ahead for the EU. Praise for Brexit and Beyond 'a wide-ranging and thought-provoking tour through the vagaries of British exit, with the question of Europe’s fate never far from sight...Brexit is a wake-up call for the EU. How it responds is an open question—but respond it must. To better understand its options going forward you should turn to this book, which has also been made free online.' Prospect Magazine 'This book explores wonderfully well the bombshell of Brexit: is it a uniquely British phenomenon or part of a wider, existential crisis for the EU? As the tensions and complexities of the Brexit negotiations come to the fore, the collection of essays by leading scholars will prove a very valuable reference for their depth of analysis, their lucidity, and their outlining of future options.' - Kevin Featherstone, Head of the LSE European Institute, London School of Economics 'Brexit and Beyond is a must read. It moves the ongoing debate about what Brexit actually means to a whole new level. While many scholars to date have examined the reasons for the British decision to leave, the crucial question of what Brexit will mean for the future of the European project is often overlooked. No longer. Brexit and Beyond bundles the perspectives of leading scholars of European integration. By doing so, it provides a much needed scholarly guidepost for our understanding of the significance of Brexit, not only for the United Kingdom, but also for the future of the European continent.' - Catherine E. De Vries, Professor in the department of Government, University of Essex and Professor in the department of Political Science and Public Administration Free University Amsterdam 'Brexit and Beyond provides a fascinating (and comprehensive) analysis on the how and why the UK has found itself on the path to exiting the European Union. The talented cast of academic contributors is drawn from a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise and this provides a breadth and depth to the analysis of Brexit that is unrivalled. The volume also provides large amounts of expert-informed speculation on the future of both the EU and UK and which is both stimulating and anxiety-inducing.' -Professor Richard Whitman, Head of School, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Director of the Global Europe Centre, University of Kent

Download or read book The Europe Dilemma written by Roger Liddle and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-02-20 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Britain's future in Europe? This book revisits an old argument but for dramatically new times. The old argument is about Britain's 'semi-detachedness' from Europe and whether that posture could ever change. The new times are the crisis in the Eurozone and its wider impact on the European Union's future. While logic may point to deeper integration, the politics associated with the EU's problems make this a significant and possibly insurmountable challenge. Where should Britain stand? What future should Britain want for the EU? And how important is continued membership of the EU for Britain's future? This book offers new answers to these questions from the perspective of an author who has combined experience both at the heart of the British Government, as Tony Blair's European adviser and with years of understanding Europe from the inside - working at a senior level in the European Commission. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the future of British and European politics.