ABSTRACT

Five years ago observers might have doubted that national foreign policies would continue to be of importance: it seemed inevitable that collective European positions were becoming ever more common and effective. Now the pendulum has swung back with a vengeance. The divided European responses to the prospect of war with Iraq in 1990-91, and to the war in the Balkans have made what happens in the national capitals seem divisive.
The Actors in Europe's Foreign Policy is a timely survey of the interplay between the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy and the long-established national foreign policies of the Union's Member-States. The book contains a chapter on each country in the Union as well as a chapter on the United States in its role as the `thirteenth seat at the table'. There is also a chapter on the European Commission, whose role in the external relations of the Community steadily grew during the 1980's.
This book will be invaluable for students and scholars of the European Union and of international politics. It will also be of great interest to practitioners in all countries concerned with Europe's role in international affairs.

chapter |16 pages

Introduction

Actors and actions

part |131 pages

The major actors

chapter |21 pages

France

The impact of François Mitterrand

chapter |28 pages

Germany's role in the CFSP

‘Normalität' or ‘Sonderweg’?

chapter |22 pages

United Kingdom

Sharpening contradictions

chapter |18 pages

Regional reassertion

The dilemmas of Italy

chapter |22 pages

Spain

The uses of foreign policy cooperation

chapter |18 pages

The Commission

The struggle for legitimacy

part |156 pages

The smaller countries

chapter |15 pages

Belgium

The importance of foreign policy to European political union

chapter |20 pages

Denmark

A new activism in foreign and security policy

chapter |22 pages

Greece

The limits to convergence

chapter |18 pages

Ireland and common security

Stretching the limits of commitment?

chapter |21 pages

The Netherlands

The weakening pull of Atlanticism

chapter |20 pages

Portugal

Pressing for an open Europe 1

chapter |17 pages

Conclusions

The European rescue of national foreign policy? 1