Political Parties and the European Union

Political Parties and the European Union offers a panoramic survey of the political parties of contemporary Europe. It covers party politics from Scandinavia to Greece, focusing on how parties in the individual member states have responded to the processes of European integration. Despite a trend towards political convergence, national traditions continue to shape politics across Europe. In order to reflect, and do justice to, the diversity of political cultures, the book combines case studies, comparative approaches and supranational perspectives. It examines the history of the main national parties, offers new comparative perspectives on communist, green and extreme right parties, and analyses party politics at the European level.

Part 1: 1. Political Parties and the European Union Case Studies 2. The German Social Democrats 3. The German Christian Democrats 4. The French Socialists 5. The French Gaullists 6. The British Labour Party 7. The British Conservative Party 8. Italian Christian Democracy 9. The Spanish Socialists 10. The Greek Socialists Part 2. Comparative Perspectives 11. Irish Political Parties and European Union 12. Scandinavian Political Parties and the European Union 13. Western Communist Parties and the European Union 14. Extreme Right-Wing Parties and the European Union 15. Green Parties and the European Union Part 3. The The European Union 16. How European are the European Elections? 17. Political Parties in the European Parliament 18. The Transnational Party Federations