ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that a position in the margins often entails particular resources for action that enable the margins to play a significant role in shaping the nature of the whole. From the perspective of Central and Western Europe the European North has traditionally been seen as of little importance in the broader outlines of European and world politics. Economically the region also appears increasingly divided between the progressivist social democratic models of Germany and the Nordic states, and the more neoliberal orientations of Poland, the Baltic States, and to some extent also Russia. As Shields points out, being on the ‘margin’ is usually associated with exclusion from the ‘centre’, and as such is also usually equated with a position of powerlessness and objectification. Finally, the chapter presents an overview of this book. The book deals with Regional Perspectives and aims to provide a background to debates and issues facing Northern Europe in the climate.
