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What's Wrong with the Europe Union and How to Fix It

ISBN: 978-0-745-64205-5

April 2008

Polity

228 pages

Description
The European Union seems incapable of undertaking economic reforms and defining its place in the world. Public apathy towards the EU is also increasing, as citizens feel isolated from the institutions in Brussels and see no way to influence European level decisions.

Taking a diagnosis and cure approach to the EU’s difficulties, Simon Hix tackles these problems with distinct clarity and open-mindedness. What the EU needs, Hix contends, is more open political competition. This would promote policy innovation, foster coalitions across the institutions, provide incentives for the media to cover developments in Brussels, and enable citizens to identify who governs in the EU and to take sides in policy debates. The EU is ready for this new challenge. The institutional reforms since the 1980s have transformed the EU into a more competitive polity, and political battles and coalitions are developing inside and between the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission.

This emerging politics should be more central to the Brussels policy process, with clearer coalitions and identifiable winners and losers, at least in the short term. The risks are low because the EU has multiple checks-and-balances. Yet, the potential benefits are high, as more open politics could enable the EU to overcome policy gridlock, rebuild public support, and reduce the democratic deficit. This indispensable book will be of great interest to students of the European politics, scholars, policy makers and anyone concerned with the future of the European Union.

About the Author

Simon Hix is a British political scientist and Harold Laski Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Features

  • Illuminating and accessible account of the difficulties of the European Union and the potential solutions
  • Written by one of the world’s leading authorities on the European Union
  • Written with the general reader and student in mind, this book is very accessible and completely up-to-date with recent debates
  • Sets an agenda for positive change in the EU
  • There will likely be a broad review coverage and significant trade readership