Germany and the European Union: Europe's Reluctant Hegemon?(The European Union Series)

About the Book

Winner of the UACES Best Book Prize 2020

The jury commented 'It is impossible to study or understand European integration without understanding Germany’s role and place in this. This book is therefore a must-read'.

This new textbook offers a path-breaking interpretation of the role of the European Union’s most important member state: Germany. Analyzing Germany’s domestic politics, European policy, relations with partners, and the resultant expressions of power within the EU, the text addresses such key questions as whether Germany is becoming Europe’s hegemon, and if Berlin’s European policy is being constrained by its internal politics. The authors – both leading scholars in the field – situate these questions in their historical context and bring the subject up to date by considering the centrality of Germany to the liberal order of the EU over the last turbulent decade in relation to events including the Eurozone crisis and the 2017 German federal election. This is the first comprehensive and accessible guide to a fascinating relationship that considers both the German impact on the EU and the EU’s impact on Germany. This book is the ideal companion for undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying the European Union or German Politics from the perspectives of disciplines as wide ranging as Politics, European Union Studies, Area Studies, Economics, Business and History. It is also an essential resource for all those studying or practicing EU policy-making and communication.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Analysing Germany and the EU
Chapter 1: Germany and European Integration: Before Reluctant Hegemony
Chapter 2: Sources of Germany’s European Power
Chapter 3: German institutions and EU Policy-Making: constraints or enforcers?
Chapter 4: German Political Actors and European Policy: a new politicisation?
Chapter 5: German European Policy in the Twenty-First Century
Chapter 6:Monetary policy and the eurozone crisis: the emergence of German hegemony?
Chapter 7: From Political Dwarf to Potential Hegemon? German Foreign Policy in Transition
Conclusion.

About the Author :

SIMON BULMER is Professor of European Politics, University of Sheffield.

WILLIAM E PATERSON is Honorary Professor of German and European Politics, Aston University.

Review :
Authoritative, comprehensive, accessible and compelling, this timely book is written by the world's two leading experts on this subject. A must-read for all students of Germany and Europe. Authoritative and comprehensive, this book is a must for anyone seriously interested in Germany’s place and role in the European Union, yesterday, today and tomorrow. What makes their assessment particularly valuable is the unique combination of long experience with and profound knowledge of Germany, and the detached, sober and pragmatic perspective the authors bring to their topic as eminent British social scientists. This book is a major, timely and fascinating study of a central issue in European integration: German power, an issue that will continue to overshadow discussions about institutional and policy development. It offers a masterly analysis of the role of German institutions and political actors, of how these have changed over time, and of the present and future difficulties in which Germany finds itself and to which it has itself contributed. The book is notable for its sober, nuanced and balanced assessment of Germany's position in the EU and the record of its chancellors. It is essential reading for all students of European integration and especially for those working on Germany. The authors provide a timely and indispensable contribution to the literature and to the beginning of an assessment of where Germany is headed in its most important policy area, Europe. Germany and the European Union offers a reminder that no country is more crucial to the EU’s future than Germany. This is the most up-to-date and reliable book on how domestic German politics, law and culture shape Berlin’s approach to the EU. This book is first-class and it should be read by those interested in the development of the EU and role of Federal Republic of Germany within it. This timely volume, written by two leading scholars of Germany and European integration, is a must-read for those interested in the future of the EU and Germany’s place in that complex polity. A timely and thought-provoking analysis of Germany's relationship with the EU. This insightful new book provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of contemporary Germany's role in Europe.