*** PASCAL DELWIT, PHILIPPE POIRIER (Eds.): Parlement puissant, électeurs absents ? Les élections européennes de juin 2004. Editions de l'Université de Bruxelles (26 av. Paul Héger,
B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 6503799 - Fax: 6503794 - e-mail: editions@admin.ulb.ac.be - Internet: http://www.editions-universite-bruxelles.be/ ). "Sociologie politique" series. 2005, 316 pp, €25. ISBN 2-8004-1350-6.
Fruit of an international conference jointly organised last autumn by the 'Centre d'étude de la vie politique of the 'Université libre de Bruxelles' and Luxembourg University's 'Unité de recherche interdisciplinaire sur le Luxembourg', this book draws scientific lessons from the June 2005 European elections, the sixth European elections under universal direct suffrage. Firstly, the elections are examined in several countries (the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, central Europe, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) in the light of campaigning, the presence or absence of polarisation on European issues, mobilisation from below, along with the actual results of course. Several subjects are then considered from a 'horizontal' viewpoint, namely abstentionism, Europeans making use of the right to vote in their country of residence, whether the elections demonstrated a rise in Euroscepticism and analysis of the new political alignment at the European Parliament itself.
In the introduction, the book's editors reveal that most of the authors broadly echo the theory of second rate elections for four main reasons. Firstly, the general lack of appreciation for the elections, largely explaining the low take-up of the opportunity for EU residents to vote in their country of residence, highlighted by Malika Ghemmaz (Lille II University) using the example of the Portuguese diaspora. Secondly, the massive levels of abstention, which have been growing since 1979, a trend that is inversely proportional to the growth in European Parliament powers over the past twenty-five years. This is nuanced, however, because the situation is far more catastrophic in the new Member States than in the EU15, where it is really a matter of stagnation (the holding of accession referendums probably didn't help). All the same, how is this abstention to be understood? Professor Pascal Delwit (of the French-speaking Brussels university ULB) and Philippe Poirier (of Luxembourg University) first note the deepening of abstention as a result of social position, since less educated people at the bottom of society are far less likely to vote (especially young people) than voters of a higher social position and educational background. Nevertheless, both groups see the European elections as a vote 'without visibility'. Why? Paul Magnette (ULB) explains it thus: "Parliamentarism finds its raison d'être in the belief that public discussion is both the best way of reaching the truth when drafting laws, and the most effective form of education in civic affairs. But by defending its powers, the European Parliament has neglected this fundamental mission. It has got involved in the conques,t and then the exercise,e of legislative and budgetary tasks; it never ceases to demand to be involved in exercising constitutional power; it has revised its own rules on several occasions to boost its powers and fight off potential rivals. All this has used up energy that MEPs have therefore not been able to devote to the pretty meagre public debate over European issues". The low visibility also comes from the lack of genuine competition, because voters cannot express their views on an outgoing government, or on the future Commission. Finally, abstentionm also arises from the increased reservations or hostility people hold about the European Union, not to mention disenchantment with democracy, which is seen at all levels and is exacerbated by the Europe.
A third factor justifies the theory of a second rate election, namely punishing national governments, or confirming newly elected governments at the European ballot box, since voters feel freer to vote with their hearts, even for politicians focussing on European affairs when they disagree with the general line. But does that mean that last year's European elections were a reflection of Euroscepticism? The authors are very prudent, agreeing that 13 June did not see the breakthrough of Eurosceptic separatist groups. No doubt one should follow the example of Christophe Bouillaud (Institut d'études politiques in Grenoble, France), who notes the end of permissive public opinion consensus with regard to the European project. Another step, at any rate, in the path urged by the supporters of a No vote on the Constitution…
Michel Theys
*** PAUL MAGNETTE: What is the European Union? Nature and Prospects. Palgrave MacMillan (Houndsmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire UK-RG21 6XS, UK. Tel: (44-1256) 329242 - Fax: 842084 - E-mail: mdl@macmillan.co.uk - Internet: http://www.palgrave.com/politics/eu ). "The European Union Series". 2005, 230 pp, £16-99. ISBN 1-40394182-3
Understanding and explaining what the European Union is, along with its underlying dynamic, is not an easy task, but Paul Magnette has provided an enlightened, user-friendly book on the subject. Unlike those who see the EU as a kind of state entity, the author, a professor at the Université libre de Bruxelles (a French-speaking university in Brussels), definitely sees it as an international organisation. This viewpoint has the advantage of avoiding unfounded analogies between the character and functioning of the EU and the character and functioning of a nation state, and reveals that contrary to popular belief, the European 'club' has not led to a weakening of nation states, but has rather allowed cooperation that has strengthened the states. Designed to be read by people without any prior knowledge, the book describes the factors underlying the European project and how it works. It describes the relations and power struggles between EU Member States and in EU institutions, outlining how things may develop in the future. The book provides an overview of the constantly changing European Union without getting bogged down in superfluous academic postulates.
(FRo)
*** JOHN MCCORMICK: Understanding the European Union. A Concise Introduction. Palgrave MacMillan (see above). "The European Union Series". 2005, 260 pp, £16-99. ISBN 1-4039-4451-2
This book, in its third edition, starts by looking at the nature, identity and current situation of the European Union and Europe in general. The author, professor of politics at Indiana University in the United States, recalls major steps in the European project, going on to describe European Union institutions. The book then considers relations between the EU and its Member States and citizens, describing the way Member States and citizens can influence EU policy. Three chapters look at the economic impact of the European project, various policies that influence citizens' quality of life, and changes in the EU's role on the world stage. Many books have been written on this, but rarely striking such a fine balance between relevance and brevity. This is an introduction to the European Union, the ideas behind it and what it means to citizens, providing a sufficiently broad overview (and details about issues that need to be explained). Contradicting former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's view that "To understand Europe, you have to be a genius - or French!"
(FRo)
*** WALTER VAN GERVEN: The European Union. A Polity of States and Peoples. Hart Publishing (Salter's Boatyard, Folly Bridge, Abingdon Road, Oxford OX1 4LB, UK. Tel: (44-1865) 245533 - Fax: 794882 - E-mail: mail@hartpub.co.uk - Internet: http://www.hartpub.co.uk ). 2005, 397 pp, £24. ISBN 1-84113-529-1.
This book aims to explain to the general public what the European Union is and how, since its tentative beginnings in 1952, it has grown to include twenty-five Member States (with more in the waiting) and a whopping 450 million citizens. Former Advocate General at the European Court of Justice, the author explains how this rising power has continued up until the recent constitutional process, from a legal perspective but with the addition of references to politics and history. He ends by asking what would be the best form of government for Europe. Both comprehensive and reliable !
(LD)
*** LOEK HALMAN, RUUD LUIJKX, MARGA VAN ZUNDERT: Atlas of European Values. Ed. Brill (Tilburg University, the Netherlands). 2005, 140 pp, €159 (special offer €129 until 31-12-2005). ISBN 90-04-14460-9.
Few words are as bandied about as the word 'value' - the value of the stock exchange, the value of a person or a thing, not to mention the universal values referred to in the preamble of several articles of the draft Constitution for Europe. But what are values? And what do Europeans think of when asked about values? What precisely are the ideas and beliefs that everyone subjectively feels to be objectively desirable in various areas of philosophy and behaviour? A team of European researchers on the "European Values Systems Study Group" (EVSG) at Tilburg University in the Netherlands has been looking at this for nearly a quarter of century and their pioneering work has since been taken up and expanded to the whole world by other research teams headed by Professor Ronald Inglehart at Ann Arbor University in Michigan (the United States) in the "World Values Survey".
With a preface by Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch pm, and some 200 maps, this beautiful and fascinating book looks at seven different areas - Europe (naturally enough, family, work, religion, politics, society and well-being. Opinion polls were carried out in 1981, 1990 and 1999-2000 of representative samples of the population in thirty-three countries, and most EU countries were covered in all the surveys, allowing interesting comparisons to be made. There are fourteen articles by other writers, in addition to the three editors' articles and plenty of pictures (maps, graphics and photos) to enliven the book.
Comparing the values held by Europeans in different countries helps people understand what unites people - and distinguishes people - living in places as far flung as Iceland and Turkey, Portugal and the Ukraine. This impressive mass of data seems to suggest that socio-economic development is a powerful homogeniser of values, but deeply rooted cultural issues are still (and happily?) hugely important and will no doubt remain so when it comes to relaying and transmitting values and beliefs. Obviously this research now needs to amplified, with a series of different types of analyses, taking account of factors like age, schooling, and the extent to which those polled have found their place in society. Such research has already been undertaken by various authors, but clearly outstrips the initial remit for this book targetted at the general public.
(J-RR)
*** SYLVAIN DUFEU: Valeurs et constitutions européennes. Une identité politique entre deux mythes: universalisme et frontière. L'Harmattan (5-7 rue de l'Ecole-Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40467920 - Fax: 43258203 - e-mail: diffusion.harmattan@wanadoo.fr - Internet: http: //http://www.editions-harmattan.fr ). "Questions contemporaines" series. 2005, 163 pp, €14-50. ISBN 2-7475-8484-4.
Three important questions run throughout this dense and scholarly research. Firstly, what should underscore the European political values that European politicians go on about without actually defining them? Secondly, what is their current institutional formulation, particularly in the light of the work of the Convention drafting the Constitution? Finally, in what way are European political values different from other political values, in other words what is the difference in fact between Europe and Turkey, or the United States even? To answer these questions, the author (a graduate of the Paris 'Institut d'Etudes politiques' and an alumnus of the College of Europe in Bruges) starts from the hypothesis that there is a special European tension between 'order and movement' that gives rise on the political front to both revolutionary and restorative values. Through his explanations, a mixture of political science, moral philosophy, sociology and history, Sylvain Dufeu demonstrates that this tension led, in the Constitution, to a profound inherited contradiction, the source of true European values, which revolve around the link between the individual and the community, not found anywhere else.
(MT)
*** ProChoix. Association ProChoix (177 av. Ledru-Rollin, F-75011 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 43733525 - E-mail: prochoix@prochoix.org - Internet: http: //http://www.prochoix.org ). 2004, No. 30, 142 pp, €12. Annual subscription: €50 (France), €60 (abroad). ISBN 2-913749-11-9.
This issue of the quarterly publication of an association combatting all forms of intolerance, fanaticism, fundamentalism and intolerance (such as racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, sexism and homophobia) includes a "Letter to Nicolas Sarkozy" (France's interior minister) in which a secular activist (described in the book as a "laïque ni sectaire ni désespérée", a defender of secularism who is neither sectarian nor desperate) pits her ideas against Sarkozy's views or issues of secularism. Other articles describe a European Social Forum taken hostage by Muslim fundamentalists and a criticism of President Bush's policy for dealing with problems in society.
(LD)
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following documents:
*** RDT info. DG Research, Information and Communications Unit (Tel: (32-2) 2959971 - Fax: 2958220 - E-mail: research@cec.eu.int). July 2005, special issue, 44 pp.
The European Union has understood the importance of cooperation in the scientific field, which has helped get results that no Member State would have been able to get on its own. The problems research tries to solve and the benefits of cooperation care little for nationalities and borders within the European Union, and research challenges and opportunities do not stop at the EU's external borders either, as is shown in this special issue of RDT Info on international cooperation. It looks at a series of research partnerships in four different geographical areas. The first in the EuroMed, the second series of articles looks at research in Africa, a continent where cooperation with Europe is vital to cope with a series of challenges, particularly lack of resources. The third zone is China and other Asian countries, where growth is taking a toll on the environment, and the fourth series of articles looks at Latin America.
*** Inforegio news. DG Regional Policy, Unit 01 (Fax: (32-2) 2966003 - E-mail: regio-info@cec.eu.int). August 2005, No. 137, 2 pp.
DG Regional Policy's newsletter first looks at the new EU strategic guidelines for cohesion, growth and employment, which were the subject of a report drafted under the responsibility of Commissioners Hübner and Spidla. The guidelines are the cornerstone of the new cohesion policy (which will come into force in 2007) that will give Member States and regions EU priorities in three main areas, like the Lisbon Strategy. Inforegio News includes a brief account of the meeting on data management in 2007-2013, and four short articles on the DG's work.
*** Forum. Bertelsmann Stiftung (256 Carl-Bertelsmann-Straâe, D-33311 Gütersloh. Tel: (052-41) 8181310 - Fax: 8181999 - E-mail: info@bertelsmann.de -Internet: http://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de ). 2005, No. 3, 44 pp.
This issue of Forum looks at youth employment. In a dozen articles, the extent of youth unemployment and the need in both Germany and the rest of Europe to have a re-think on training and access to the labour market for young people. The Bertelsmann Foundation this year has been granted to a project in Hamburg, organised by business and the public authorities together, to boost the accessibility and role of higher education as a bridge to employment. There are articles on the importance of training for getting a job, the results of a poll of young people demonstrating definite disillusion, the opportunities that demographic ageing could bring young people, and cultural exchange initiative between young Germans and Israelis.
*** Sweden. OECD Publications (2 rue André-Pascal, F-75775 Paris cedex 16. E-mail: SourceOECD@oecd.org - Internet: http://www.oecd.org ). "Economic Surveys". August 2005, No. 9, 164 pp. ISBN 92-64-01153-6
Each of the OECD's Economic Surveys looks at a different country, studying its economic trends and challenges and setting out recommendations for improvement. This survey looks at Sweden, a country that has experienced big changes and increased productivity in recent years, but employment has not yet returned to the levels experienced in the 1990s and, more importantly, it must deal with the challenge of adapting its social security system to cope with an ageing population.
Reviews in brief
*** Focus sur la Flandre. Editions Lannoo. August-September 2005, Tielt, Belgium. The review looks at current events in Belgium over the past few weeks. *** The Japan Journal. The Japan Journal Ltd. September 2005, Tokyo. The magazine promotes Japan and describes various future trends. The special dossier in this issue looks at ecology and reforestation.