Britain is widely regarded as the ‘awkward partner’ in Europe: How accurate is this assessment?

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

5 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

01/15/2009

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

International relations

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Summary :

Introduction.
Non involvement 1945 to 1972.
1. From 1945 to 1958: GB did not share the integration project.
2. From 1958 to 1973: Why did Britain change its mind at this point?
Membership: Anglo Euro relations 1972 to 2000.
1. Half-hearted Europeans 1973-94: Awkwardness and semi-detachment.
2. Labour Government from 1997-present: The appearance of being European.
Conclusion.
References.

Abstract

The Second World War gave impetus to the idea of European unity. A view developed that only by the creation of some form of European federation would europe enjoys a permanent peace. After WW2, European states focussed on national reconstruction, whereas britain had a globalist perspective. this difference of interests produced a discrepancy between Great britain and the other countries in the idea of integration in an institutionalized europe. Winston Churchill characterized British international interest in terms of three interconnected circles: Empire and Commonwealth, europe, and the United States. The US generally came first, europe always last. The awkward partner thesis is a widespread theoretical framework which explains why britain has been called a semi-detached member of the European Union. The argument advanced here is that the awkward partner thesis presupposes a negative behaviour by UK governments in relation to their European counterparts. how accurate is this thesis?