European Integration and Consensus Politics in the Low Countries
The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are well-known cases of consensus politics. Decision-making in the Low Countries has been characterized by broad involvement, power sharing and making compromises. These countries were also founding member states of the European Union (EU) and its predecessors. However, the relationship between European integration and the tradition of domestic consensus politics remains unclear.
In order to explore this relationship this book offers in-depth studies of a wide variety of political actors such as governments, parliaments, political parties, courts, ministries and interest groups as well as key policy issues such as the ratification of EU treaties and migration policy. The authors focus not only on Europeanization, but also analyse whether European integration may gradually undermine the fundamental characteristics of consensus politics in the Low Countries. Drawing on consociationalism and Europeanization research, this volume provides a comprehensive overview of Europeanization in these three EU member states as well as a better understanding of the varieties of consensus politics across and within these countries.
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of European studies, European integration, European law, political science, European political economy and comparative politics.
Hans Vollaard is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Leiden, the Netherlands.
Jan Beyers is Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Antwerp Centre for Institutions and Multilevel Politics at the University of Antwerp (ACIM), Belgium. He is also Visiting Research Professor at Agder University (Norway).
Patrick Dumont is Researcher at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Luxembourg and co-founder of the SElection and DEselection of Political Elites (SEDEPE) international network.
Europe and the Nation State
Edited by Michael Burgess
Centre for Federal Studies, University of Kent
and
Lee Miles
Europe and the World Centre, University of Liverpool
This series explores the complex relationship between nation states and European integration and the political, social, economic and policy implications of this interaction. The series examines issues such as:
the impact of the EU on the politics and policy-making of the nation state and vice-versa;
the effects of expansion of the EU on individual nation states in Europe;
the relationship between the EU and non-European nation states.
1 Poland and the European Union
Edited by Karl Cordell
2 Greece in the European Union
Edited by Dionyssis G. Dimitrakopoulos and Argyris G. Passas
3 The European Union and Democratization
Edited by Paul J. Kubicek
4 Iceland and European Integration
On the edge
Edited by Baldur Thorhallsson
5 Norway outside the European Union
Norway and European integration from 1994 to 2004
Clive Archer
6 Turkey and European Integration
Prospects and issues in the post-Helsinki era
Edited by Mehmet Ugur and Nergis Canefe
7 Perspectives on EURussia Relations
Edited by Debra Johnson and Paul Robinson
8 French Relations with the European Union
Edited by Helen Drake
9 The Geopolitics of Euro-Atlantic Integration
Edited by Hans Mouritzen and Anders Wivel
10 State Territoriality and European Integration
Edited by Michael Burgess and Hans Vollaard
11 Switzerland and the European Union
A close, contradictory and misunderstood relationship
Edited by Clive Church
12 Romania and the European Union
Dimitris Papadimitriou and David Phinnemore
13 The European Union and the Baltic States
Changing forms of governance
Edited by Bengt Jacobsson
14 The Czech Republic and the European Union
Dan Marek and Michael Baun
15 Europeanization and Domestic Policy Change
The case of Italy
Paolo Roberto Graziano
16 Denmark and the European Union
Edited by Lee Miles and Anders Wivel
17 European Integration and Consensus Politics in the Low Countries
Edited by Hans Vollaard, Jan Beyers and Patrick Dumont
First published 2015
by Routledge
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2015 Hans Vollaard, Jan Beyers and Patrick Dumont
The right of Hans Vollaard, Jan Beyers and Patrick Dumont to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
European integration and consensus politics in the Low Countries / edited by Hans Vollaard, Jan Beyers, Patrick Dumont.
pages cm. (Europe and the nation state)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Benelux countries Politics and government. 2. Political culture Benelux countries. 3. Politics, Practical Benelux countries. 4. Consensus (Social science) 5. European Union Benelux countries.
I. Vollaard, Hans. II. Beyers, Jan. III. Dumont, Patrick.
JN5700.A91E87 2014
320.9492dc23
2014002644
ISBN: 978-0-415-65979-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-78094-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Contents
JAN BEYERS, HANS VOLLAARD AND PATRICK DUMONT
PATRICK DUMONT, ARCO TIMMERMANS AND CATHERINE MOURY
ASTRID SPREITzER AND ARCO TIMMERMANS
BENOT RIHOUX, ASTRID SPREITZER AND RUUD KOOLE
PATRICIA POPELIER AND WIM VOERMANS
CASPAR F. VAN DEN BERG, CAELESTA BRAUN AND TRUI STEEN
JAN BEYERS, CAELESTA BRAUN AND MARKUS HAVERLAND
BARBARA VIS AND JAAP WOLDENDORP
PETER BURSENS, KATHLEEN HIELSCHER AND MENDELTJE VAN KEULEN
MAARTEN VINK, SASKIA BONJOUR AND ILKE ADAM
JOOP VAN HOLSTEYN AND HANS VOLLAARD
RUDY ANDEWEG
