Please note that this title has sold extremely well and as at May 1999 is out-of-print. However, some copies may still be in the bookshops or with our North American distributor.
' . . . a very valuable tool for students and scholars on both nationalism and European integration.' (Nations and Nationalism)
' . . . the book's most valuable asset is that it goes a long way in clarifying and comparing the multiple and occasionally inconsistent concepts and visions espoused by the different minority nationalist parties on such terms as nation, state, region, soverignty, self-goverment and European integration.' (Regional & Federal Studies)
' . . . a well-written and highly informative account. Its great strength lies in its comparative account of 'minority nationalisms' in the context of European intergration.' (Scottish Affairs)
‘ . . . a useful book which contains a clearly laid out research agenda, and includes an impressive review of the literature on minority nations . . . a timely assessment of the political opportunities . . . ’ (West European Politics)
European integration and minority nationalism have both been substantial political forces in the twentieth century. Each offers a different challenge to the centralized nation-state. But how exactly have these two different phenomena interacted?This study answers the question by examining the attitude of minority nationalist parties to European integration from the Treaty of Versailles to the Treaty of Maastricht; it explores the cases of Plaid Cymru (the Welsh Nationalist Party), the Scottish National Party, the Volksunie and a range of Breton political organizations.
Throughout this century, nationalist and regionalist parties have placed their goals in the context of European union. For them, regional autonomy has become autonomy in a Europe of the regions; independence has become independence in Europe. Constitutional goals, demands and notions of sovereignty have therefore become entwined with European integration and the construction of a federal Europe. The impact of the European Parliament and European elections on nationalist and regionalist parties has in turn been substantial, through the development of common organizations and electoral platforms.
Peter Lynch is Lecturer in Politics, University of Stirling.