The history of European integration has always known "e;external states"e; that did not want or were not able to join the process of European integration. The EU might indeed not be seen as attractive: Since 2008, it has had to face many crises, first the financial crisis, then the migration and Schengen crises in 2015, and finally the "e;leave"e; vote in Great Britain in 2016, the so-called "e;Brexit"e;. Euro-skepticism has continually increased in EU-member states as the rejection of various EU treaties proved. On national as well as EU levels, the strength of anti-European parties has grown. The present volume, edited by Birte Wassenberg and Patrick Moreau, concentrates on these "e;external states"e;, particularly their attitude towards Europe. By looking at the geopolitical context, a wide range from historical constants to a changing of attitudes is shown and proves that the EU remains a fundamental actor of European politics and that its attraction continues to be very powerful.
