Christian Democracy and the Origins of European Union
Author | : Wolfram Kaiser |
Publisher | : Cambridge University Press |
Total Pages | : 390 |
Release | : 2011-03-03 |
ISBN-10 | : 0521173973 |
ISBN-13 | : 9780521173971 |
Rating | : 4/5 (73 Downloads) |
Download or read book Christian Democracy and the Origins of European Union written by Wolfram Kaiser and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-03-03 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Major study of the role of European Christian democratic parties in the making of the European Union. It radically re-conceptualises European integration in long-term historical perspective as the outcome of partisan competition of political ideologies and parties and their guiding ideas for the future of Europe. Wolfram Kaiser takes a comparative approach to political Catholicism in the nineteenth century, Catholic parties in interwar Europe and Christian democratic parties in postwar Europe and studies these parties' cross-border contacts and co-ordination of policy-making. He shows how well networked party elites ensured that the origins of European Union were predominately Christian democratic, with considerable repercussions for the present-day EU. The elites succeeded by intensifying their cross-border communication and coordinating their political tactics and policy making in government. This is a major contribution to the new transnational history of Europe and the history of European integration.