Professor of Government Ginsberg examines EU after 50 years
The EU began in 1957 with the signing of the Treaty of Rome by six European states. Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, bringing the membership to 27 states. Although the EU is turning 50, Ginsberg says, "it remains a mystery to many in and outside Europe." The book, designed to "demystify" the EU for both new and seasoned readers, begins with the foundation blocks of history, law, economics, and politics "to introduce readers to the origins and enduring logic of European integration." Ginsberg then describes the EU as a "polity" before evaluating the effects of EU policies on Europeans and non-Europeans alike.The 50 th anniversary of the European Union in March 2007 is an ideal occasion for Government Professor Roy H. Ginsberg to release a new book. Demystifying the European Union: The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration (February 2007, Rowman & Littlefield) is Ginsberg's fifth book on "the world's greatest experiment in interstate reconciliation through regional integration." The new book grew out of Ginsberg's course, "Political Economy of European Integration," introduced at Skidmore 20 years ago as the first of its kind in the United States.
At this historic anniversary, according to Ginsberg, "it is useful to reflect on the EU's achievements and shortfalls before considering its future course. In its first 50 years, the EU focused on postwar reconciliation between Germany and its neighbors and established a single internal market and currency." Ginsberg predicts that in its second half century, "the EU will focus on foreign and security policies, such as anti-terrorism, anti-crime, and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and on efforts to limit European over-dependence on foreign energy supplies. In addition, the EU will seek public support for a new constitution to succeed the Treaty of Rome."
On Feb. 21, Ginsberg will present Skidmore's Edwin M. Moseley Faculty Research Lecture, titled "Exorcising the Ghosts of Europe's Past: Fifty Years of European Integration." The lecture begins at 8 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium of Palamountain Hall. In March, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of State, Ginsberg will lecture on the transatlantic dimension of the 50 th anniversary of the EU in Central and Eastern Europe.
