European Politics

À droite toute ! La montée populiste aux élections espagnoles du 22 mai

by Juan Antonio Cordero Fuertes

Published in ProChoix, n. 56, avril 2012 (printemps).

Les élections européennes de 2009: entre national et européen. Une analyse des campagnes électorales dans 22 Etats membres

by Nathalie Brack

co-authored with Y-S. Rittelmeyer et C. Stanculescu, published as working papers "Les cahiers du Cevipol", 2009

Notre étude a pour objectif d’analyser, au travers des médias, les campagnes précédant le scrutin européen de 2009... more Notre étude a pour objectif d’analyser, au travers des médias, les campagnes précédant le scrutin européen de 2009 dans 22 Etats membres au prisme de la perspective d’élections de second ordre et dans le prolongement de la littérature sur l’européanisation des sphères publiques nationales. Ainsi, à travers une approche qualitative et comparative, nous questionnons le rapport entre « le national » et « l’européen » dans les différentes campagnes à la lumière de trois indicateurs : les thèmes, les acteurs et l’ouverture aux autres
Etats-membres. Ce Cahier du CEVIPOL est le résultat d’un projet qui a consisté à suivre, dans une majorité des Etats de l’Union européenne, les campagnes électorales qui ont précédé le septième scrutin pour le Parlement européen. Ce working paper se compose, en premier lieu, d’une « analyse générale » établie d’après l’observation des différentes campagnes. Elle est suivie de « fiches pays », consacrées spécifiquement à la campagne dans chacun des 22 pays étudiés.

The EU and the Recycling of Colonialism: Formation of Europeans through intercultural dialogue

by Robert Aman

Published in 'Educational Philosophy & Theory', 2012.

The present essay focuses on problematizing the European Union’s claim that intercultural dialogue constitutes an... more The present essay focuses on problematizing the European Union’s claim that intercultural dialogue constitutes an advocated method of talking through cultural boundaries – inside as well as outside the classroom – based on mutual empathy and non-domination. More precisely, the aim is to analyze who is being constructed as counterparts of the intercultural dialogue through the discourse produced by the EU in policies on education, culture and intercultural dialogue. Within the Union, Europeans are portrayed as having an a priori historical existence, while the ones excluded from this notion are evoked to demonstrate its difference in comparison to the European one. The results show that subjects not considered as Europeans serve as markers of the multicultural present of the space. Thus, intercultural dialogue seems to consolidate differences between European and Other – the ‘We’ and ‘Them’ in the dialogue – rather than, as in line with its purpose, bringing subjects together.

Future scenarios for the European construction industry

by Chris Goodier

Academic Essays on the 2012 Greek Elections

by Emmanuel Sigalas

Dynamics of equity market integration in Europe: evidence of changes over time and with events

by Raj Aggarwal

L’Union européenne et les Roms : pauvreté, haine anti-Tziganes et gouvernance de la mobilité

by Nando Sigona

"Pedagogy of Unrest: Education Struggles and the Prospect of an Autonomous University" [A Roundtable]

by David Hugill

Featuring contributions by Gigi Roggero, Emma Dowling, Merijn Oudenampsen and Vassilis Christophides.

Students and education workers have been at the forefront of the mass mobilizations that have swept across Europe over... more Students and education workers have been at the forefront of the mass mobilizations that have swept across Europe over the past 18 months. As these movements have developed, their transnational character has become increasingly evident. Student movements have begun to draw connections between their own national contexts and the broader struggles against austerity that have emerged in a wide range of locales, including North America. There are numerous lessons that North American students and workers can draw from the practices, projects, and critiques advanced by European education activists, particularly around issues of organizing and what it means to draw on legacies of struggle. As European universities become subject to increasing homogenization through the adoption of “North American” systems of organization, and as the neoliberal process of university transformation becomes increasingly international, the overt links between our struggles become stronger. At a recent meeting in Paris called to build bridges between student movements from around the world, élise Thorburn and David Hugill spoke with activists from the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands in order to uncover what North Americans can learn from the battles currently underway in Europe.

The European Parliament as a ‘Norm Taker’? EU-US Relations after the SWIFT Agreement

by Ariadna Ripoll Servent

Co-authored with Alex MacKenzie. Published in European Foreign Affairs Review, 17(Special Issue), pp. 71–86, 2012.

EU-US relations in internal security demonstrated a tendency to be turbulent. As a result, EU-US cooperation has not... more EU-US relations in internal security demonstrated a tendency to be turbulent. As a result, EU-US cooperation has not evolved into a partnership but into an asymmetrical relationship within which the EU has become a 'norm taker' - a recipient of US security norms. With this perspective in mind, it is time to take stock of the changes in the institutional configuration of the EU brought about by the Lisbon Treaty. In particular, the European Parliament (EP), often a vocal critic of the transfer of US security norms to the EU in the past, has been empowered to consent to international agreements. We therefore examine whether the EU remains a recipient of US security norms after Lisbon through the first case of its kind: the EU-US Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) Agreement. By rejecting the first of the two agreements, the EP generally acted contrary to the preferences of the Council and United States, who were mostly in favour of the agreement. Despite this opposition, the EP gained few concessions from the United States and Council in the second round of negotiations for a permanent SWIFT Agreement, with their emphasis on security trumping most of the EP's data protection concerns. In sum, the use of theories on norm internalization allows us to conclude that, after Lisbon, the EP has abandoned its previous critical stances and is now becoming a new 'norm taker' within the EU-US relationship.

The EU's Normative Power - Strength or Weakness?

by Tornike Metreveli

The paper tries to critically reflect on the concept of the European Union’s Normative Power as advocated by Ian... more The paper tries to critically reflect on the concept of the European Union’s Normative Power as advocated by Ian Manners. By drawing on comparative analysis, the paper seeks to illustrate that the EU’s normative power can be its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

"The EU and Global Governance: Is the European Union Still a Model for other Regional Organizations?"

by Nathan Andrews

For published version, see Andrews, Nathan (2009). “The EU and Global Governance: Is the European Union Still a Model for other Regional Organizations?” in Sabrina Hoque (ed.) Geopolitics vs. Global Governance: Reinterpreting National Security. Halifax, N.S.: Centre for Foreign Policy Studies.

The 1648 Treaty of Westphalia is regarded by scholars of international relations as the first international agreement... more The 1648 Treaty of Westphalia is regarded by scholars of international relations as the first international agreement that established the concept of sovereignty, introducing the principles of noninterference and the legal equality of states. In recent times, this concept has been challenged by the
global convergence of many states and innumerable non-state actors, leading to what has become known as ‘global governance’. It is in the midst of such global transformation that the European Union (EU), which evolved five decades ago, aims at making a major impact by uniting the nations of Europe.

The EU undoubtedly is as an exemplary regional organization, one that other continents such as Africa are trying to mimic. This research will argue that the EU has emerged as a global power that can counterbalance the power of the US and other nascent economic and political powers. However, the Union faces major challenges that can render it redundant if not proactively dealt with. The research will examine the challenge of the absence of a European identity which results from the lack of democratic legitimacy, and also the issue of regional inequality or the uneven levels socio-economic development among Member States.

These are issues that, despite the relative success with the euro and through trade agreements, will not engender a strong European culture or people outside the boundaries of their respective states. Vivien Schmidt calls it a “fragmented democracy” (2004; 982), and Blacksell and Williams (1994) see the Union as a “capitalist organization characterized by class and income inequalities.” By focusing on such debates, the research seeks to build on the knowledge and literature already existing on the EU. The paper will also seek to offer alternative suggestions and ways the Union can best handle the many tests of these globalizing times.

Europe’s becoming archipelago: toward a relational identity

by Maxime Philippe

Europe’s Dis/Integration: Place, Belonging and Identity Across and Beyond Europe, McGill’s First LLC Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference, April 20-22, 2012

Towards a Common European Policy On China?: Economic, Diplomatic and Human Rights Trends since 1985

by Reuben Wong

Published in Current Politics and Economics of Asia, Vol.17, No.1, 2008, pp.155-181.

This article argues against the received view of European Union-China relations as hostage to historical rivalries and... more This article argues against the received view of European Union-China relations as hostage to historical rivalries and competing national interests between EU member states. It analyzes the trends in the EU's economic, political and human rights policies towards China since the 1985 European Community-China Trade and Cooperation Agreement was signed. By foucsing on the interactions between three member states with siginificant interests in China- Germany, France and the UK- and the Europeanization pressures which undercut national leaders' powers, and shape their prefereces and options, it argues that there has in facr been significant convergences in the policies of the major EU states and the European Commission towards China.

America: An Empire In Decline (Part 2)

by Devon DB

This article discusses the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and its effects on US foreign policy. It also discusses the... more This article discusses the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and its effects on US foreign policy. It also discusses the Bush Administration's foreign policy from the attempted coup in Venezuela to the change in military doctrine of the war in Iraq, as well as the Color Revolutions in eastern Europe, ending with a brief discussion of the 2007 financial crisis.

Recensione a Paolo Sensini, Libia 2011.

by Gianroberto Scarcia

Recensione Paolo Sensini, Libia 2011. Prefazione di Giovanni Martinelli, Vescovo di Tripoli, Milano, Jaca Book, 2011, 174 pp. in corso di stampa su Oriente Moderno.

Re-drawing the ‘Green Europeanization of energy policy

by Israel Solorio

Co-authored with Esther Zapater, in F. Morata and I. Solorio, eds. European Energy Policy: An Environmental Approach, Edward Elgar Publisher, pp.97-112.

Introduction: The re-evolution of energy policy in the EU

by Israel Solorio

Co-authored with Francesc Morata, in F. Morata and I. Solorio, eds. European Energy Policy: An Environmental Approach, Edward Elgar Publisher, pp. 1-22.

What about winning? Looking into the blind spot in the theory on campaign professionalization

by Jennifer Rayner

Draft copy - for peer review

The international literature on campaign professionalization suggests that the nature, content and style of election... more The international literature on campaign professionalization suggests that the nature, content and style of election campaigning in developed democracies has changed in recent decades. As well as observing that modern election campaigning represents a break with past approaches, scholars in this field also suggest that the nature of this difference has significant implications for the quality of electoral democracy, the involvement and attention of citizens, the role of political parties and the quality of public discourse. But while significant attention has been devoted to these issues, one critical question has been consistently overlooked: do professionalized campaigners perform better at the ballot box? The question of who wins and who loses should be a critical one for anyone analysing the content and form of election campaigning, yet the existing literature on campaign professionalization is almost entirely silent on the relationship between this and outcomes on Election Day. This paper reviews the existing literature for clues about how professionalized campaigning may help or hinder electoral performance, and draws on recent research using Gibson and Rommele’s (2009) CAMPROF Index to identify fertile avenues for further research on this under-examined topic.

Laïcité Revisited: Sarkozy’s Break From Fifth Republic Precedent

by Nathaniel Moldoff

Term Paper for GOV 322 (French Politics), taught by Prof. Kerry Whiteside

This paper examines the unique approach of French President Nicolas Sarkozy regarding the role of religion in modern... more This paper examines the unique approach of French President Nicolas Sarkozy regarding the role of religion in modern French society. After analyzing the concept of laïcité, from its origins in the French revolution to its present-day ramifications, and giving background on the Fifth Republic system in France, I then argue that Sarkozy has broken from the precedent set by his predecessors in the Fifth Republic on the topic of laïcité. I do so by discussing the records of each of his predecessors on the issue and then contrasting it with the "laïcité positif"advocated by Sarkozy. I conclude by offering an explain for Sarkozy's unconventional approach to this issue, tying it in to the larger political and religious debates occurring in France. 

The Role(s) of the Eurosceptic MEPs

by Nathalie Brack

coauthored with O. Costa, published in Dieter Fuch, Raul Magni-Berton et An-toine Roger (dir.), Euroscepticism. Images of Europe among mass publics and political elites, Barbara Budrich Publishers, Opladen and Farmington Hills, MI, 2009, p. 253-272