Whose Europe?

Descripción

"At the end of the millennium the European Union's leading members waged war to defend human rights in the Balkans. But how democratic is the European Union? How well do we live up to the principles we fought for? In Whose Europe? a team of international scholars identifies barriers to further democratisation, explore potential bridges to greater democratic participation, and analyse the long term social processes shaping the new Europe." "During the 1990s the people struck back after three decades of elitist control. In the referenda following the Maastricht treaty, Europe's leaders held their breath while the voters had their say. In 1999 the European Parliament, backed by public opinion, forced the entire European Commission to resign." "Whose Europe? asks why the multi-level political structures emerging in the course of Europeanisation and devolution fail to give all men and women access to the benefits of citizenship on equal terms. It explores the potential for establishing new bonds between the peoples of Europe. Finally, it sets these changes in historical and comparative context."--Jacket.