Politicisation, Democratisation and EU Identity

Reviews / Votes

"The volume develops a sophisticated analysis of the partly contradictory processes of politicisation, democratisation and identity formation in the EU. It provides a new research perspective to the discourses related to the ratification of the EU Consitutitonal Treaty in 2005, showing how national discourses shape European identity. It is a must read to anyone interested in EU politics and the democratisation of the EU."
Niilo Kauppi, University of Helsinki and CNRS"Wiesner's historically informed and theoretically stimulating account of European identity construction has a good potential to advance to a new master framework for the study of European integration and its intrinsic relationship to state and democracy transformation in Europe and beyond. Drawing principally on case studies from France and Germany, the book argues for a multi-level analysis of European identity formation that unites studies on political mobilisation and politicisation of the EU in the member states with studies of democratisation and constitutionaliastion of EU institutions and decision-making. Despite recent backsliding such as the case of Brexit or the salience of Euroscepticism, such a longitudinal analysis is helpful to outline the contours of a new type of political entity, where micro dynamics of bottom-up mobilisation in support and opposition of European integration meet with macro-dynamics of democratic identity formation."
Hans-Joerg Trenz, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa