De terugkeer van de natie-staat: recente theorievorming over Europese integratie

Samenvatting

The Return of the Nation-State: Recent Theory Formation on European Integration. A review essay on books by: D. Corbey, Stilstand is vooruitgang. De dialectiek van het Europese integratieprocess ([Stagnation Is Progress. The Dialectics of the European Integration Process] Assen/Maastricht: Van Gorcum, 1993); Paul Kapteyn, Markt zonder staat. Het Europese dilemma van integratie en civilisatie ([Market or State. The European Dilemma of Integration and Civilization] Bussum: Dick Coutinho, 1993); and Alan S. Milward with George Brennan and Federico Romero, The European Rescue of the Nation-State (London: Routledge, 1992). Since 1986, European integration has been a popular topic in social science and historical research. The increasing flow of publications leads to better insight into important questions, eg: how decisions are reached by the European Parliament in Brussels, Begium; the consequences of European Community (EC) policy vs the freedom of individual member nations to chart their own policy; and the buoyancy of national sentiments. After an overview of theoretical developments since 1986, attention is focused on the three new theoretical approaches to integration based on the central role of the nation-state. Corbey's dissertation, characterized by dialectical functionalism, shows the most continuity with already existing theories. His central thesis is that nation-states should surrender as much of their formal autonomy as possible, because otherwise, the competition among them is unproductive. Kapteyn's book describes a dilemma for nation states, in that they must either enact more regulation that will be detrimental to the development of a fully free market, or they must inhibit the development of regulation through a centralized EC authority. Milward concludes that the primary function of European integration is to defend the importance of the nation-state, after analyzing primary source data 1951-1961. All three authors in effect follow a neofunctionalist view that the move toward integration resulted from a cost-benefit analysis conducted by the national political elites. All three books merit a positive appraisal. 26 References. M. Meeks