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The idea of European unity, which the Nordic states have historically resisted, has recently become the foremost concern of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Finland. Christine Ingebritsen provides a timely analysis of Nordic economic and security policies in the wake of the vast transformation of regional politics between 1985 and 1995. The Nordic States and European Unity addresses two central questions: Why did all five Nordic states trade autonomy for integration after 1985? And why do some follow the British pattern, resisting supranationalism, while others prefer the German strategy of embedding their policies in a common European project?
Through extensive interviews with representatives of trade unions, government ministries, parliamentary committees, social movements, and military and industrial organizations, Ingebritsen charts adjustments to the idea of a regional system of governance. She highlights crucial differences among these nations as they seek to protect their borders against new security threats. In particular, Ingebritsen shows how the political influence of leading sectors affects each state’s capacity to pursue an integrationist policy. Economic sectors are not uniformly affected by European policy coordination, and the experience of the Nordic states demonstrates this difference. Her work shifts the focus of political economics away from enduring, domestic institutions toward an understanding of institutions as sectoral and transnational. Reviews"[A] convincing [argument] that brings together insights into domestic politics and an understanding of the international situation. . . . Christine Ingebritsen is one of the American political scientists who understands the nature of the Nordic region and this ability, together with her solid research, comes through in this well-written book."--International Affairs"Ingebritsen has applied wide theoretical knowledge of structuralist international political economy, corporatism and state behaviour to her thoroughly researched cases, and her conclusions are . . . convincing. Her study is a benchmark for further research."--Nicholas Aylott, West European Politics, July 1999. "This is a welcome addition to the literature on the European Union, which is overwhelmingly (and not surprisingly) historical and descriptive. Her book is particularly useful in teaching classes on European Integration...[The] readable prose makes this study accessible to undergraduates, yet her theoretical statement and the nuance of her argument make her book valuable for graduates also."--Patricia Goff, University of Southern California. " “I have not found any book that approaches this one in its comprehensiveness, detail, analysis, and discussion of the European Community/Union in the light of political theory. Its five-state perspective and its solid foundation in documentary and primary sources--as well as the author’s exhaustive round of interviews and discussions in the Nordic countries--make this book likely to be the central work on the topic.”--Eric Einhorn, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Subject Areas
Political Science / Europe
Political Science / Comparative Politics Political Science / Economic & Monetary Policy |
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