The European Union Since 1945

The European Union faces immediate and long-term challenges as it responds to the changing nature of the 21st century global order. Whilst the EU is the world’s most successful multilateral institution that continues to attract applications from prospective member states, it faces the challenge of responding to the increasing support for populist political parties and dealing with erosion to democratic values within its member states.

In this fully revised and updated third edition, Alasdair Blair examines the economic, political, personal and social factors that have shaped the process of European integration since the end of the Second World War. Reflecting the most recent developments and presented in clear, accessible language, the book explores:

  • The context of European integration
  • The relations between the EU and its member states
  • The evolution of the EU’s institutions
  • Methods of decision-making
  • Key European Union policies
  • The rise of populism
  • The crises that the EU has faced in the twenty-first century
  • The future direction of European integration

Comprehensive and accessible, this book is an essential guide to understanding how the EU works and why it is even more important in the twenty-first century that when it was founded after the Second World War.

1119931046
The European Union Since 1945

The European Union faces immediate and long-term challenges as it responds to the changing nature of the 21st century global order. Whilst the EU is the world’s most successful multilateral institution that continues to attract applications from prospective member states, it faces the challenge of responding to the increasing support for populist political parties and dealing with erosion to democratic values within its member states.

In this fully revised and updated third edition, Alasdair Blair examines the economic, political, personal and social factors that have shaped the process of European integration since the end of the Second World War. Reflecting the most recent developments and presented in clear, accessible language, the book explores:

  • The context of European integration
  • The relations between the EU and its member states
  • The evolution of the EU’s institutions
  • Methods of decision-making
  • Key European Union policies
  • The rise of populism
  • The crises that the EU has faced in the twenty-first century
  • The future direction of European integration

Comprehensive and accessible, this book is an essential guide to understanding how the EU works and why it is even more important in the twenty-first century that when it was founded after the Second World War.

54.99 Pre Order
The European Union Since 1945

The European Union Since 1945

by Alasdair Blair
The European Union Since 1945

The European Union Since 1945

by Alasdair Blair

eBook

$54.99 
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Overview

The European Union faces immediate and long-term challenges as it responds to the changing nature of the 21st century global order. Whilst the EU is the world’s most successful multilateral institution that continues to attract applications from prospective member states, it faces the challenge of responding to the increasing support for populist political parties and dealing with erosion to democratic values within its member states.

In this fully revised and updated third edition, Alasdair Blair examines the economic, political, personal and social factors that have shaped the process of European integration since the end of the Second World War. Reflecting the most recent developments and presented in clear, accessible language, the book explores:

  • The context of European integration
  • The relations between the EU and its member states
  • The evolution of the EU’s institutions
  • Methods of decision-making
  • Key European Union policies
  • The rise of populism
  • The crises that the EU has faced in the twenty-first century
  • The future direction of European integration

Comprehensive and accessible, this book is an essential guide to understanding how the EU works and why it is even more important in the twenty-first century that when it was founded after the Second World War.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781040703632
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication date: 12/30/2025
Series: Seminar Studies
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 312

About the Author

Alasdair Blair is Jean Monnet Professor of International Relations and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor Education at De Montfort University. He has written widely on British foreign policy, European integration and the scholarship of teaching and learning in Political Science. He has written over 10 books and 50 journal articles. He is lead editor of the Journal of Political Science Education and was previously a co-editor of European Political Science and reviews editor of European Foreign Affairs Review. He is a National Teaching Fellow, a Principal Fellow of Advance HE and a Senior Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the series

Publisher’s acknowledgements

Maps

Preface to the Third Edition

Abbreviations

The Enlargement of the EU

Chronology

Who’s Who

Glossary

PART ONE: BACKGROUND

1. THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

An increasingly divided Europe

Theorising European integration

The issue of sovereignty

Challenges ahead

PART TWO: ANALYSIS

2. THE ROAD TO ROME: 1945–57

The Emergence of European Unity

The Hague Congress

The Coal and Steel Community

The Failure of the European Defence Community

The Treaties of Rome

3. CONSTRUCTING THE COMMUNITY: 1958–70

Institutional Design

Policies and Competencies

The Nationalist Backlash

The Spirit of the Hague

4. THE ENLARGED COMMUNITY: 1970-84

The First Enlargement

Britain’s Indecision

Eurosclerosis

Transatlantic Difficulties

Britain’s Budgetary Question

5. THE TRANSFORMATION OF EUROPE: 1985-1993

Creating the Single Market

The Single European Act

The Road to 1992

Europe’s Changing Map

The Maastricht Treaty

6. BUILDING A NEW EUROPE: 1994-2010

Enlarging the EU

Treaty of Amsterdam

Treaty of Nice

The Fifth Enlargement and Constitutional Reform

Lisbon and Beyond

7. AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE EUROPE: 2010-2025

Eurozone Crisis

Migration Crisis

Brexit and its Implications

The Rise of Populism, Eurosceptics and Democratic Backsliding

The Changing Nature of European and World Politics

PART THREE: ASSESSMENT

8. THE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

European and Global Challenges

Polycrisis

Boundaries of Europe

Nature of Membership

The Future of European Integration

PART FOUR: DOCUMENTS

Further Reading

References

Index

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