European Union Enlargement A Comparative History

European Union Enlargement provides a comparative analysis of the post-war European policies of those states that joined the European Union between 1973 and 1995.The volume draws upon new empirical research in order to investigate the policies that these 'newcomer' states have had towards Europe since 1945, with an emphasis on their experience of membership and its possible Europeanising effect. A final comparative chapter draws the national European policies of the 'newcomers' together and outlines what they have brought to the EU. The book also tests integration theories against the available evidence, demonstrating their limited explanatory value and the economic, political and cultural specificity of different national paths towards EU integration.

1. 'What Alternative is open to us?': Britain Wolfram Kaiser2. A Kingdom Divided: Denmark Johnny Laursen3. From Isolation to Involvement: Ireland Edward Moxon-Browne4. State Interests, External Dependency Trajectories and 'Europe' : Greece Kostas Ifantis5. In Search of Lost Europe: Spain Ricardo Martin de la Guardia6. From Atlantic past to European Destiny: Portugal António Costa Pinto and Nuno Severiano Teixeira7. A Newcomer Experienced in European integration: Austria Michael Gehler8. If in 'Europe', then its Core?: Finland Hanna Ojanen9. Combining Dependence with Distance: Sweden Maria Gussarsson10. A Fool's Game or a comedy of Errors?: EU Enlargements in Comparative Perspective Jürgen Elvert

Wolfram Kaiser is Professor of European Studies at the University of Portsmouth and Visiting Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges. Jürgen Elvert is Professor of Modern History at the University of Cologne and Senior Fellow of the Center for European Integration Studies at the University of Bonn.