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Redrawing the Map of Europe
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Redrawing the Map of Europe

Michael Emerson
St. Martin’s Press, 1998
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Author Michael Emerson – a former European Union (EU) Ambassador to Moscow and European Commission official – has created a concise, systematic analysis of the cultural background, policy issues and the political-science frameworks surrounding the emerging organization of a 21st-century Europe. This is not a book for the casual observer of European politics – but anyone with a sincere curiosity about the nuts-and-bolts construction of the integrated Europe will be fully sated. The book has the advantages and disadvantages of being densely packed with details, but the strong introduction, conclusion and index help the reader put it all together. Although the publication date – 1998 – ensures that some of this information is dated, the book might actually benefit from its pre-euro publication, in that Emerson’s arguments give full optimistic credit to the potential of a unified Europe. getAbstract recommends this valuable resource to executives with business interests in Europe and all students of globalization.

Summary

Dynamics of Integration and Conflict

From the perspective of European society, the major opposing dynamics of integration and conflict underlie the continuing development of the map of Europe. Integration dynamics encompass historical, economic and political dimensions.

Historically, geography, culture and perception created four European quadrants: a majority Germanic, Protestant northwest; a majority Latin, Catholic southwest; a majority Turkic, Islamic southeast; and a majority Slavonic, Orthodox northeast.

Perceptually, the northeast and southeast faced a relatively unified west. Economic integration has revolved around the eastward extension of markets, monetary policy and regional redistribution. Political integration has dealt with the resolution of values, power, and security.

Conflict in Europe

European conflict can be categorized into approximately six areas:

  • Nationalist-ethnic conflict – Multiethnic, ethnophobic, separatist and irredentist.
  • Redistributive conflict – National, regional or economic.
  • Radical opposition conflict – Driven by political ideology or environmentalism.
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About the Author

Michael Emerson is Senior Research Fellow with the Centre for Economic Performance of the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has served as an official of the European Commission and as European Union Ambassador to Moscow. He holds an M.A. from Oxford.

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