ABSTRACT
Asking whether a “Europeanization of the nation-state” is taking place, means calling attention to ongoing changes in the European political order. In particular, attention is directed towards the dominant institution of this order: the nation-state. Focus is on the interplay between changes in the relations between European states and changes within each state. How significant are processes of European integration and cooperation for the development of the nation-state as the loci of political power and legitimacy in Europe? How important is the nation-state for integration and cooperation at the European level? In the context of the democratic nation-state key questions are: What is the role of democratic governance and politics in European transformations? In turn, how is the relative importance of democratic institutions and processes affected by the search for European unity? 1
