Cite Europeenne/European Policy – serie

The book analyses the attitudes of non-EU countries towards European integration in historical and contemporary perspectives. The authors study a range of actors in Europe and beyond to explain the impact of the creation of the European Communities on the international system and how the EU is perceived in the world.The book further shows the significance of the institutional interplay within the EU, and between EU institutions, member states and external actors led by their own internal dynamics to explain policy outcomes. It investigates to what extent the perceptions of the international community towards the European Communities and the EU have been influenced by the complexity of their decision-making and the difficulty of reconciling the views of member states on key external relations issues. The authors also study the interplay of non-EU countries and the EU within the broader context of international and regional institutions and forums for international cooperation.

The book offers insight into different relevant issues related to recent developments in the political and media space in Europe. The authors are interested in how these phenomena affect the future of the democratic system and the general development of the European Union. The special focus is on populism as one of the most discussed political phenomena in recent years. The assumption is that the rise of populism in Europe is a reaction to the anomalies and consequences of globalisation as well as a symptom of the crisis of established politics. Furthermore, the spread of populist messages is related to the profound change the media space is facing, particularly with the crisis of traditional media. Populists utilise different media channels that often serve to spread disinformation. Strengthening European democracy requires improving institutional effectiveness, responsiveness and accountability toward the citizenry, as well as building a European identity.