European Integration and the Communist Dilemma: Communist Party Responses to Europe in Greece, Cyprus and Italy

European Integration and the Communist Dilemma assesses the response of communist parties to European integration using three contrasting and comparatively significant case studies from Greece, Cyprus and Italy. These parties, in common with other radical parties in Europe, face a continuing strategic dilemma with regard to Europe through which larger questions about communist ideology and identity can be illuminated. Exploring the tendency of communist parties to face a trade-off between domestic legitimacy and electoral concerns, and their nature as parties professing opposition to the systemic currents of capitalism and European integration, the author provides a fascinating study of the nuances in deciding whether to adopt ideological consistency or undergo moderation. Blending advances in party politics, communist history and Europeanization research, the book devises a framework that overcomes the deficiencies of uni-dimensional approaches to the study of parties and Europe. In this manner, wider insights on the national party politics of European integration are drawn.

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction. 2 The Communist Dilemma. 3 Political Parties and European Integration. 4 The Greek Case: The KKE and European Integration. 5 T e Cypriot Case: AKEL and European Integration. 6 The Italian Case: Rifondazione Comunista and European Integration. 7 Comparative Findings. 8 Epilogue: On the Present and Future of European Communism. Appendix: Schedule of Interviews and Email Correspondence.

About the Author :
Dr Giorgos Charalambous, University of Cyprus.

Review :
'Charalambous sheds a great deal of new light on policy evolution within the three communist parties he examines - the Greek KKE, Italian Rifondazione, and Cypriot AKEL. The case studies are well researched and genuinely fascinating. The author's comparative analysis of why these communist parties have pursued such different policies on European integration and supranational pan-European cooperation (including European party-building) is fascinating. This book makes a valuable contribution to the literature on Europeanization, parties and party evolution, and the politics of the European radical left.' Richard Dunphy, University of Dundee, UK 'The policy positions of Europe's radical left parties are of particular significance in light of the momentous changes in the direction of European integration and the euro-zone. This book, with its state-of-the-art analysis of a select number of western European Communist parties' evolution vis-a-vis the European Union, offers valuable insights on this phenomenon.' Robert Ladrech, Keele University, UK 'Filling an important gap, this book offers a timely reminder of the variation and contingencies underpinning the domestic support for European integration. We learn much about the ideological and strategic dilemmas posed for parties outside the "fold", appreciating the limits of inclusion. With Europe beset by crisis and uncertainty, the book could hardly be more topical.' Kevin Featherstone, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK 'This book makes an impressive and timely contribution to the growing but still underdeveloped comparative academic literature on west European Communist parties. It builds on earlier efforts to study the approaches that these parties have taken to European integration. Other studies have focused on debates on the European constitution or are out of date; this book analyses developments from the 1980s to the present. An extensive amount of case material on three parties adds a great deal to our understanding of their responses to the Economic crises and debates on European integration and their transnational affiliations... This book will be of great interest to those interested in west European Communist parties, Euroscepticism, Communism, party politics and Europeanisation... This work adds to a growing literature that shows that political scientists need to pay closer attention to the comparative study of the radical left and to develop analytical frameworks to study them as parties rather than overlooking them as outliers... This book is recommended for those interested in the current debates about the Left and European integration. It adds to existing studies and provides ideas that can be used to study other West European Communist parties' responses to European integration.' LSE Review of Books '... this is an excellent book. The author shows real knowledge and mastery of a wide range of relevant literature, and weaves these different strands together most effectively to construct an interesting and coherent analytical framework. The case studies provide an in-depth examination of three political parties that tend to get overlooked in broader surveys. ... this work can serve as an inspiration for further research ... this is a very worthwhile and commendable contribution to the literature.' The Cyprus Review 'This book is a very welcome contribution for scholars of party politics and comparative politics alike, and bears great theoretical and empirical significance. Indeed, Charalambous' book provides the analytical tools to understand how parties respond to European integration - in particular those belonging to radical and non-mainstream party families.' Political Studies Review 'This fascinating study arrives at a critical moment in the debates over European integration and adds much of interest to those who examine the nuances of policy change in Brussels, and complain of the growing lack of democratic legitimacy, economic crisis and incompetence. ... For anyone with a keen interest in the future of far-left politics this is a good read.' Journal of Contemporary European Studies '... one of the strongest aspects of this book is the light it sheds on the nature and the evolution of the three communist parties under examination. The author offers important insights about each party and is choices, analysing partisan, domestic and international factors that may have conditioned such choices. ... this book makes a significant contribution: by comparing and most importantly analysing three communist European parties in depth, their responses to European integration and the extent to which they may modernise their policies, it fills an important gap in the literature. It is well written, well informed and sheds light on an area of study that is under-theorised, especially at times that are critical for the euro zone, and the EU project as a whole.' West European Politics