ABSTRACT
The French Socialist concept of Europe has been marked by a measure of ambivalence. Historically, Europe was valued insofar as it prolonged the internationalist traditions of French socialism, but it was feared because of the diminution of national sovereignty it implied. The dynamic tension between these two imperatives has resurfaced throughout the history of the Socialists’ relationship to Europe. In this chapter, we shall consider first the historical relationship between French socialism and the European Community; second, the evolution of Socialist policy towards the EC during the 1980s; before, third, concentrating upon the specific sphere of EU institutional reform; and finally, considering how the internal dynamics of the French Socialist Party have had an impact upon the party’s relationship with the EU.
