The EU and Territorial Politics within Member States

The EU and Territorial Politics Within Member States examines whether European integration helps or hinders the resolution of domestic territorial conflicts, including conflict between national groups, between territorially-based political parties or communities and different levels of political authority. The research draws on a wide range of case studies – from Germany, Belgium, Spain, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Ireland and Italy. The studies suggest EU institutional rules altering the balance of power between central and regional elites (as in Germany) and/or different national elites (as in Spain) and particular EU policies, such as enlargement in Cyprus and EU anti-terrorism policy in Spain, may create new or aggravate existing tensions within member states. However, the same EU institutional rules in different states (such as Belgium) and different policies, such as cross-border programmes in Ireland may have the opposite effect. Similarly, opportunities for re-imagining territorial identities and redefining ambitions for control over territories may in some ways help the search for means to accommodate conflicts, while in others they may help entrench territorial cleavages or reproduce old tensions.