Bibliotheken Online

European integration as an elite process

the failure of a dream?

Max Haller

Buch

englisch

Haller, Max (Verfasser/-in) DNB

Routledge Advances in Sociology

40

Routledge

New York ; London

2008

xxix, 431 p.

978-0-415-40390-0

Includes bibliographical references and index

european integration
european union - eu
economic integration
european union countries
politics and government

Table of Contents

European Integration as an Elite Process : The Failure of a Dream?
by Haller, Max




Terms of Use
List of Figures p. xiii
List of Photos p. xv
List of Tables p. xvii
Preface p. xxi
Acknowledgments p. xxvii
1 Living in Two Different Worlds? The Increasing Split Between Elites and Citizens About European Integration p. 1
Introduction p. 1
1.1 The French and Dutch reject the Constitution for Europe. A shock for the political establishment p. 1
1.2 Do parliamentary delegates represent their citizens? An analysis of the outcomes of referenda and parliamentary votes on European integration, 1972-2005 p. 9
1.3 Pride and fears about European integration among elites and citizens p. 18
Conclusion p. 30
2 European Integration as an Elite Process: Theoretical Approach p. 31
Introduction p. 31
2.1 Elites and democracy p. 31
2.2 European integration as an elite process p. 38
2.3 Ideas, values, and the role of the intellectuals in the process of European integration p. 47
2.4 The historical-situational context of the origin and further expansion of the EU p. 52
Conclusion p. 56
3 The Political Elites: How Integration Has Opened Up a Wide Field of New Political Careers p. 58
Introduction p. 58
3.1 How the charismatic founders of the EEC left their mark on later integration p. 58
3.2 Changes in the structures and workings of politics in western Europe, 1950-2000 p. 69
3.3 The new European political elites: I. Elected politicians p. 79
3.4 The new European political elites: II. Political bureaucrats and professionals p. 94
Conclusion p. 107
4 The Economic Elites: Between Global Capitalism and European (Neo-) Corporatism p. 109
Introduction p. 109
4.1 The European economic elites and their role in the integration process p. 110
4.2 Does the EU constitute a closely integrated economic community? p. 115
4.3 The role of the economic elites in the establishment and further development of integration p. 123
4.4 A reverse redistribution: The agricultural policy of the EU p. 132
4.5 EU enlargement toward the East: Reunification of Europe or conquest settlement of eight new member states? p. 140
Conclusion p. 150
5 The Eurocracy: The Irresistible Growth of a New and Powerful Supranational Bureaucratic Elite p. 152
Introduction p. 152
5.1 Bureaucracy as an instrument of domination and the specific character of the Eurocracy p. 152
5.2 The personnel: Size, growth and social characteristics of the Eurocracy p. 160
5.3 Material gratifications and lifestyles: The rise of a new "Euroelite"? p. 174
5.4 Eurocratic processes and practices p. 181
Conclusion p. 197
6 One Union or Many? Public Views of Integration in the Different EU Member States p. 199
Introduction p. 199
6.1 The integration and identity of societies and the case of the European Union p. 200
6.2 The structural position of different countries and the attitudes of their populations toward integration: An inductive empirical typology p. 207
6.3 The seven faces of the European Union: A sociological typology of the meaning of integration among the different nation-states and their citizens p. 214
6.4 The European Union as a "Community of values"? p. 241
6.5 Legitimacy through output? The modest socio-economic success of integration and its accurate perception by the citizens p. 247
6.6 Strategies of the elites to win the consent of the citizens for integration p. 255
Conclusion p. 262
7 The Dream of Europe: Intellectual Ideas of Integration and their "Realization" p. 264
Introduction p. 264
7.1 The dream of Europe in history: A critical analysis of the ideas of European unification from the Abbe de Saint-Pierre (1713) until Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi (1923) p. 265
7.2 Democracy and peace in Europe: Kant's universal dream and its political-practical relevance p. 276
7.3 Historical visions and the "real Europe" p. 283
7.4 Where have the critical intellectuals gone? p. 305
Conclusion p. 312
8 The European Union as a "Social Community of Law:" Proposals for Strengthening its Social and Democratic Character p. 313
Introduction p. 313
8.1 Potentials and limits of the Constitution for Europe: The view of the citizens p. 314
8.2 The EU as a "Social Community of Law" and its Charter of Fundamental Rights as an approach toward a Social Europe p. 322
8.3 Enhancing of transparency and direct democracy: Consequences from the character of the EU as a consociational political system p. 333
8.4 A proposal for the generation of a renewed "constitutional moment" p. 351
Conclusion p. 359
Notes p. 361
References p. 375
Name Index p. 409
Subject Index p. 421
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Max Haller's impressive book presents annbsp;analysis of the process of European integration which keeps the relation between elites and citizensnbsp;at the forefront.nbsp;It is shown on the basis of new empirical data (surveys, interviews, analyses of documents and biographies) that European integration has been led since the beginning by the elites and that today there exists a considerable split between elites and citizens, becoming more profound in the course of time. The book covers the following themes: the structure, interests and behaviour of the different elites (political, economic, bureaucratic) the expectations and perceptions of the populations concerning the integration process and the elites the strategies of the elites to win the consent of the people, in view of widespread scepticism proposals for reform of the EU, especially with regard to a strengthening of democratic elements which could reduce the split between elites andcitizens. A timely and original read, this book will be a useful addition to any political sociologist's library.