Hardback
The Politics of Regional Cooperation and the Impact on the European Union
A Study of Nordic Cooperation and the Visegrad Group
9781789906455 Edward Elgar Publishing
This unique book explores what subregions are in a European context and what roles they fulfil in relation to the European integration process, exploring how subregional cooperation and integration in Europe largely take place in the shadow of the European integration process.
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Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
This unique book explores what subregions are in a European context and what roles they fulfil in relation to the European integration process, exploring how subregional cooperation and integration in Europe largely take place in the shadow of the European integration process.
Mats Braun examines how subregions fulfil two specific functions in relation to the European integration process: they compensate for the fact that countries are connected to the European Union in different ways, and they facilitate cooperation in fields where the EU has failed to do so. The book analyses two of the European subregions in detail, the Nordics and the Visegrad, and explores how these groups gain legitimacy. Braun suggests that Nordic cooperation is based on perceptions of shared norms relating, among other things, to peace, while the Visegrad Group has become widely known only in the aftermath of the migration crisis and is now developing a new narrative based on protecting Europe.
Elaborating on a theoretical framework based on postfunctionalism, this book will be critical reading for scholars and students of European politics and policy, international relations and regional studies. Its focus on the two case studies will also be beneficial for policy makers and analysts interested in the politics of the Nordic and Visegrad countries.
Mats Braun examines how subregions fulfil two specific functions in relation to the European integration process: they compensate for the fact that countries are connected to the European Union in different ways, and they facilitate cooperation in fields where the EU has failed to do so. The book analyses two of the European subregions in detail, the Nordics and the Visegrad, and explores how these groups gain legitimacy. Braun suggests that Nordic cooperation is based on perceptions of shared norms relating, among other things, to peace, while the Visegrad Group has become widely known only in the aftermath of the migration crisis and is now developing a new narrative based on protecting Europe.
Elaborating on a theoretical framework based on postfunctionalism, this book will be critical reading for scholars and students of European politics and policy, international relations and regional studies. Its focus on the two case studies will also be beneficial for policy makers and analysts interested in the politics of the Nordic and Visegrad countries.
Critical Acclaim
‘Mats Braun has tackled the subject that many in EU studies and beyond have wanted and needed: how state formations within the EU function and influence its works. A long-time observer, the author is especially well-placed to take on this essential yet understudied topic. This book mobilises an intimate knowledge of both the Nordic and Visegrad countries; a combination difficult to match. The results are an informed, comparative analysis, with great value and insights to a wide range of readers.’
– Rick Fawn, University of St Andrews, UK
– Rick Fawn, University of St Andrews, UK
Contents
Contents: Preface 1. Introduction to The Politics of Regional Cooperation and the Impact on the European Union 2. Subregions and regionalism 3. Regionalism, subregions and identity 4. Case study 1: Nordic cooperation in the context of European integration 5. Case study 2: the Visegrad Group in the context of European integratio 6. Conclusions to The Politics of Regional Cooperation and the Impact on the European Union References
