| Review of: | Europe, the state and globalisation by Simon Sweeney |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Uwe Wunderlich |
| Reviewed in: | Public Administration |
| Date accepted online: | 14/01/2008 |
| Published in print: | Volume 85, Issue 03, Pages 857-883 |
Reviews
The literature on globalization is rich, diverse and growing. Never before has there been such a much discussed and controversial concept that reaches across the whole spectrum of the social sciences. Much of the controversy focuses on the implications of the globalization process on societies, nation-states and governance in general. Indeed, some authors argue that we currently witness the emergence of a reshuffling of governance between the subnational, the national, the regional and the global level of analysis. This is captured by the concept of multilayered or multilevel governance, which describes a process and a state of affairs whereby national authorities share more and more governance and regulatory responsibilities with subnational and international institutions. Globalization has helped to foster both the creation of dense networks of direct transnational connections between subnational authorities without going through official national channels and an increase in international cooperation in the form of international organizations and regimes. The increase of regional and global governance arrangements at subnational and international levels alongside national regulatory mechanisms means that governance has become increasingly decentralized and fragmented.
The interplay between subnational, national and international regulatory mechanisms has received an increase in scholarly attention in recent years but much more needs to be done. Simon Sweeney's book
Another related theme that is explored in great depth in the book is nationalism and its relationship with sovereignty, integration and globalization. The book offers a detailed overview of the dynamics between sovereignty and statehood, nationalism and nationhood, European integration and the European Union (EU) and globalization. It advances the argument that European integration has been driven primarily by two antagonistic forces: the desire to eliminate intra-European strife and conflict by restraining nationalism and the state, on the one hand, and the resurgent forces of sovereignty and state-centrism on the other. From its beginnings in the 1940s, the European integration process was as much about the reining in of nationalism as it was about 'rescuing the nation-state'. This struggle between supranationalism and sovereignty is still ongoing and the outcome is far from certain. In the post-Cold War world, the EU is facing two threats: the revival of nationalism in Europe and globalization. Both place particular pressures on the state, with the danger of nationalist backlashes as a counter-reaction to integration and globalization. Nonetheless, the EU is well suited to deal with the challenges arising out of contemporary international relations due to its particular location at the intersection between the state and the global level. It is the rather unique combination of supranational institutionalism and intergovernmentalism that puts European integration in an ideal position in the emerging framework of global governance. But international institutions such as the EU also face problems. First, there has been little popular enthusiasm for integration in recent years. If anything, nationalism appears to be making a comeback. Second, on a more international level there is also little enthusiasm for multilateralism. Third, the democratic deficit of institutions such as the WTO and the EU has widened with the expansion of competencies of these international institutions.
Sweeney's book puts forward the thesis that sovereignty is not a static concept and that the nature of the state has altered, responding to the various pressures and forces over a period of 300 years now. Globalization is in a sense only the latest of these dynamics. The post-1945 stage of globalization focused on the reconstruction of international order based on multilateralism and international institutions, effectively constraining nationalism. From the 1970s, a second phase of globalization brought about new pressures on the state with the triumph of neoliberalism and the emphasis on international trade and free market capitalism. Yet, while arguably its authority over its affairs and citizens has declined, the state has survived. The book maps in an analytical manner the factors that are responsible for this decline and the resulting implications. In 12 chapters,
The section the follows focuses on the EU and on European integration. Chapter 4 offers a detailed study of the institutions and policy-making processes of the EU. Questions of sovereignty are systematically addressed. Chapter 5 takes integration theory and the state as its topic. It recounts the principal theories of European integration before moving on to newer theories such as multilevel governance approaches and social constructivism. A consistent theme of this chapter is the relationship between integration, the state and sovereignty. Chapter 6 is devoted to an analysis of regional policy in the EU in the era of globalization, introducing concepts such as subsidiarity and europeanization. The chapter that follows discusses the challenges of EU enlargement.
Sweeney then shifts the focus to the wider international level. For this purpose, Chapter 8 locates the EU within the so-called 'new' regionalism and provides an additional theoretical framework by looking at international relations theory, the state and international cooperation. Chapters 9 and 10 are devoted to an in-depth analysis of the globalization process, its meaning, its implications for the EU and the linkages to European integration as well as its general consequences. Chapter 11 discusses the changing features of the state in the face of globalization, multinational corporations and international trade. Chapter 12 forms a logical conclusion, bringing together the separate levels of analysis by locating the EU within the wider framework of global governance. It discusses the future of the EU as a global actor and picks up David Held's idea of cosmopolitan social democracy. Sovereignty and the role of the state have altered considerably in a multilayered, globally interconnected world. Cosmopolitan social democracy offers an answer to many of the challenges posed by globalization since it can potentially combine impartial international law, transparency and accountability, legitimacy and democracy in the multilayered framework of global governance.
Sweeney's book is a timely and valuable contribution to a growing field. Its value lies in the fact that it focuses simultaneously on different levels of analysis and aptly displays the linkages between different theoretical frameworks and concepts. As such it manages to transcend the artificial and counterproductive divisionary lines between academic disciplines such as politics, European studies and international relations. The author also emphasizes connections between theory and praxis. International theory does not develop in a vacuum and is always related to events on the ground. This comes across clearly in the book, particularly in the discussions on the evolution of the EU and the development of integration theory and international relations theory. It represents a good study of an extremely complex topic. The use of stimulating discussion points at the end of each chapter, the clarification of key concepts, bullet-point summaries, review questions and guides to further reading make the book an excellent source for courses on the EU, European integration, international relations and global studies.