Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book attempts to add to the study of how Portugal became part of the European Union (EU) as a political system, and illustrates how integration actually enhanced the national identity. It shows also that any discussion of Europeanization of the Portuguese political system is only one side of the coin. The book discusses the political system, political parties, and Portuguese society in terms of Europeanization. It reviews the evolution of public administration in Portugal and how the EU and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development impacted on the modernization agenda. The book explores the Portuguese Euro-elite and how they interacted in the Portuguese presidency and shows the importance of actors in the European integration process. It also discusses the impact of EU structural funds on Portugal, while scrutinizes Portuguese foreign and defense policies.