The European Union: A Citizen's Guide by Chris Bickerton

Pelican Books #11

by Christopher J. Bickerton

The essential Pelican introduction to the European Union - its history, its politics, and its role todayFor most of us today, 'Europe' refers to the European Union. At the centre of a seemingly never-ending crisis, the EU remains a black box, closed to public understanding. Is it a state? An empire? Is Europe ruled by Germany or by European bureaucrats? Does a single European economy exist after all these years of economic integration? And should the EU have been awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2012? Critics tell us the EU undermines democracy. Are they right?In this provocative volume, political scientist Chris Bickerton provides an answer to all these key questions and more at a time when understanding what the EU is and what it does is more important than ever before.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Sociology, Economics, Current Affairs, Political Science, European History

Paperback Bunko

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

Christopher Bickerton is a Professor in Modern European Politics at POLIS and an Official Fellow at Queens’ College, Cambridge. He obtained his BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from Somerville College, Oxford and his Masters from the Graduate Institute in Geneva. He obtained his PhD from the University of Oxford (St John’s College) in 2008 and since then has held teaching positions at Oxford, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Sciences Po in Paris.

He has published numerous books and articles that span a number of different fields within social and political science. These include three research monographs, European Union Foreign Policy: From Effectiveness to Functionality (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011; paperback in 2015), European Integration: From Nation-States to Member States (Oxford University Press, 2012) and Technopopulism: The New Logic of Democratic Politics (Oxford University Press, 2021, co-authored with Carlo Invernizzi Accetti). His 2012 book on state transformation was awarded the Best Book prize by the University Association of Contemporary European Studies. His articles have been published in the Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS), Political Studies, International Politics and the Revue Française de Science Politique. In 2011, he co-edited a special issue in JCMS on the EU’s security and defence policy (with Bastien Irondelle and Anand Menon).

In 2016, he published the best-selling The European Union: A Citizen’s Guide with Penguin, which was submitted for the Baillie-Gifford prize, the UK’s leading non-fiction literary prize. He is currently under contract with Allen Lane/Penguin in the UK and Penguin Press in the USA for a history of Europe since 1989. Beyond academic publishing, he has written articles for the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, New York Times, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs and The Big Issue. He is regularly interviewed for national and international radio and has been a panellist on the Talking Politics podcast.

Reviews

[Chantal Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm extremely interested in politics, but I find the EU at once terrifyingly complex and boring. Having read this book, I now feel a little more confident in my knowledge of the EU's workings.

As per the author's stated intention, this book is written in everyday language, with none of the obfuscating writing so often favoured by academics (and political scientists are usually the worst!). It was clear and easy to follow, and the helpful explanations about economics in general that were required to provide context to EU economics were an added bonus. I never felt like I was being hammered with facts, although the summary nature of the book means it feels a little dry, and could've done with a few more colourful anecdotes or case studies.

In case you're wondering, Brexit actually doesn't get mentioned all that much, but this book has of course been released to coincide with this pivotal time, and it is as up to date as it can be, with mentions of events up to early 2016 (no mention of TTIP though, which strikes me as a little odd). But the big question that I expect potential readers of this book are thinking is: does the author of this book take a stance on the EU, either against or for?

The answer is: yes, and he thinks it's time to replace the EU with something new and far more democratic.

Without delving further into current debates, it's difficult to know how much stock to put in the author's stance, but based on the brief biography provided on the back cover, he has a great deal of authority on the matter. Which is actually rather scary, because I'm starting to wonder if I've got the EU completely wrong...

(One extra thing - this book is beautifully presented with a matte texture, and is such a handy size!)

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly can't recommend this book to anybody who is interested in learning about what it is and how it works the European Union.

The book offers a oversimplified and biased compilation of the prejudices of the author toward the EU that fails to make justice to the topic or to properly address the complex and often controversial issues about the topic that may be of interest for the citizen.

[Lisa MOK · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a 'guide' to understand the structure of the EU, its processes and procedures and how the politics work within the EU, somewhat like a textbook, but unfortunately this was not a 'guide', so I was grossly mislead. It was some author ranting about certain reported incidents that occurred in the EU and his opinions. It was difficult to follow. He gave no background into how the EU actually works, but plunged straight into his opinions. Not recommended as a guide. More likely for some one who already understands the EU and already has some opinions about it who wants to see the perspective of another man's opinion.

[Tim Volker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculously biased, especially given the title of the book. Doesn't even attempt to try and label any of the positives the EU has done and just goes into the different criticisms levied at it.

This is genuinely the level of writing you would expect from the Express or something. Awful.

[Mickey Dubs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, now I'm fully informed ahead of the referendum on the 23rd of June.

[David Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.3/10. A very fair analysis, thankfully untarnished by the polarisation the subject ususually causes

[Moses · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fair-minded look at the EU, refreshingly lacking in stereotypes and pro- or anti-EU tropes. That being said, the EU as Bickerton presents it does not stand up very well. It is a deeply confused organization, or group of loosely aligned organizations holding together a fragile and unpopular federal European project. It sounds at some points that Bickerton wants to start the European project over with a clean sheet, although of course he doesn't say so.

[Erno Berezvay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book - mainly because of the author’s style.

The topic itself is immensely complex and I found myself lost in the history of Europe and nation states while reading the book. I must acknowledge that it’s mainly my deficiency and not the author’s fault.

If anything, this book inspired me to learn more about the political system of the place that I call home: the European Union. For this reason, I highly recommend reading it.

[Matheus Marreiros · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't be surprised if the author voted for Brexit

[sciarsch · Rating 2 out of 5]

l'ho iniziato con le migliori intenzioni, ma è così noioso e di parte che l'ho abbandonato poco prima della metà

quando chiama "indiani" i nativi americani sono esploso

[Tomq · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my third one-star review in nearly 300 rated books. In fact, of all the books I've rated so far, this one is the worst. My other 1-star reviews were as much an attempt as objective evaluation as a statement of taste... In this review, however, I am not expressing a "personal preference". The book is absolutely awful. It is uninformed, unintelligent, poorly structured, and - last but not least - deceitful.

First, there's a few minor issues with the structure and presentation. This is presented as an introductory guide to EU politics ("Pelican Introductions", "A Citizen's guide"). But there are no illustrations and no tables; there isn't a clear presentation of European institutions, let alone those of those of member states. There's a sketch of history of the EU, but it is plagued by inserts of the author's own opinions. Indeed, everything is: anecdotes replace statistics, story-telling replaces both analysis and synthesis. The result is an opinionated mess.

Second, and much more worrying, this book does not even attempt to be objective. Instead, the author harbors center-left, nationalist, anti-EU opinions, and shares them every time he gets a chance. These opinions are typically not clearly presented as such; instead they are made obvious (to readers with a little bit of relevant background) by an outrageously biased presentation of the facts. This political positioning is also totally hidden from the reader based on the cover and backcover, making the book profoundly misleading.

This bias reveals itself in various ways. For instance, Bickerton blames the EU for not doing enough to limit large companies, but he also blames it for trying to regulate tax havens (in the name of national soveignty! I find it hard to believe that somebody who taught political science does not realize the idiocy of this argument). Bickerton does not recognize the extent of the anti-nationalist sentiment which is prevalent in continental Europe where both world wars have typically had a much more dramatic impact than in the UK in terms of economic impact, loss of life, and trauma both at the personal and national level. Bickerton blames the EU for enabling the will of its member states through its policies; in particular he has a tendency to hide under the carpet the British contribution to these policies. Bickerton seems to have zero understanding that culture means more than cheese and beer. Etc. It's an endless list of half-assed arguments, half-truths, ignorance, idiocy, and malice.

None of this would justify a 1-star rating if the book was advertised as a pro-brexit, anti-EU pamphlet. Everybody's entitled to their stupid opinions, and there is some bravery in openly offering your uninformed ramblings to the judgment of the world. But this little book was published as a "penguin introduction" with a title emphasizing European citizenship. This suggests a much higher quality of research and argument, as well as a genuine attempt towards objectivity, and indeed a slight bias towards pro-european views. This means this book does not even have the merit of honesty or courage.

Don't read this crap. And shame on the editor, Penguin Books, for publishing this.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A competent and readable introduction to the EU in a handy format. In tones that seem at least rhetorically moderate compared to more forceful writers like Wolfgang Streeck, Bickerton argues that the E.U. represents a constraint on and hollowing-out of European democracy. Not because it's a neoliberal dictatorship, but because the national governments of its member states have used it to insulate themselves from the expectations of their own people. A recurring theme of the book is that the problems shouldn't be blamed on "Europe" and European institutions, because there is not much to those things besides the conscious decisions and interests of its national governments. Bickerton makes a political critique of European legalism, the main tool by which member states have de-politicized their economic governance and made controversial issues beyond the reach of democracy (c.f. Quinn Slobodian's definition of neoliberalism as precisely the creation of structures that insulate markets from democracy). The book feels a bit out of date since the deterioration of European democracy has advanced so quickly since 2016; forces that he addresses as potential future actors in the story of the EU (Brexit, the two Italian movements that are now in power, etc) have made the outlook even more grim. But this only confirm Bickerton's overall argument that the EU in its current form cannot continue, and should be completely reformed on the basis of national democracy (in fact, he has since become a major left-wing supporter of going through with a full Brexit for the purposes of shaking up the European project).

[Marente · Rating 1 out of 5]

Given the title I expected a neutral introduction to the history, structure, procedures and politics of the EU, written in a way that does not require a lot of technical legal or economic knowledge, ie a textbook but then accessible to ordinary citizens. This book does not fit that description at all. It is rather an elongated essay delineating the views of the author on many different aspects of the EU. The author wants to say a lot in a limited number of words, and therefore makes a lot of bold statements (i.e. "X is the case in the EU, because of reason Y) without explaining these further. If you are not well versed in European political history and/or economics, this book can be tough to get through without constantly googling names and economic principles. Therefore, I would not call it a guide, and I would not deem it an enlightening read for ordinary citizens.

[Alasdair Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a reflective discussion of the history, economics and politics of the EC/EU, and the relation between the EU and its constituent national societies. It is not a comprehensive guide to the structure and governance of the EU, and a reader would be best served in understanding these before reading the book. In addition, the author assumes a basic understanding of economics.

My main takeaway was that the creation of the eurozone, restricts national governments' freedom in their own domestic policy. The author argues that this has caused disillusionment of citizens' with their national governments, and indeed with politics in general.

The book is an opinionated, critical appraisal of the EU, not a dispassionate description, but is an interesting read.

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare that a book is both a solid, clear introduction to a complicated topic, and a good intervention in current arguments about that topic. Bickerton manages it here. It's not deep, because it's about 200 pages long (once you take out all the lovingly designed padding and black pages and so on). But it does make sense, and does point you to other resources should you want to go into it a bit more. And the central argument--the problem with the EU and its lack of democratic accountability are caused by the lack of democratic accountability and general stupidity of the governments of the member states--is perfectly convincing.

[Philip Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, short introduction to the EU. Interesting chapters include 'Who Rules Europe?', 'Who Is Against Europe?', and 'The EU Versus Democracy.' It definitely convinced me that the EU needs considerable reform.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but in a post-Brexit world I'm not certain what the virtue of such a book any longer holds.

Worth a read if you are interested in this dying dream.

Rating 3 out of 5 stars.

[Christophe · Rating 4 out of 5]

In aanloop van de Europese verkiezingen volgend jaar wilde ik graag mijn kennis over de instellingen en ontstaan van de EU opfrissen. Dit boek start met een goed overzicht van de geschiedenis en werking van de EU. Doel bereikt.

Ik was daarnaast blij verrast om ook een antwoord te krijgen op diepgaandere vragen over de politieke, democratische, economische en existentiële vragen waar de EU mee worstelt. Wat is de toekomst van de EU en welke functie moet het in deze wereld vervullen?

Een belangrijk thema voor mij is het groeiende gevoel dat de representatie in nationale en supranationale overheid niet meer voldoende wordt bereikt in de hedendaagse maatschappij. Een ander onderwerp is dat het 19e eeuwse nationalistische gevoel van identiteit en streven naar een gemeenschappelijke toekomst dat niet langer ( of toch in mindere mate) bestaat in onze huidige samenleving. Een belangrijke behoefte waar vandaag geen politiek alternatief voor te vinden is. Dit bemoeilijkt de relatie tussen overheid en burger drastisch.

Ondanks het steeds minder actueel worden van dit boek dat werd geschreven in ‘16, zijn veel van de ideeën nog steeds relevant. Een aanrader voor lezers die houden van een goed geïnformeerde en kritische kijk op de EU en nationale overheden.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bickerton believes that the EU is already so path-dependent as a neo-liberal construction that reform of it is no longer conceivable as the treaties would require comprehensive renegotiation during which each country would have a veto. Under the terms of EU membership this means that democratic political movements are severely constrained as macroeconomic policy is basically out of political contestation (as economic activity of the EU is mostly decided on the basis of judicial interpretation of the founding treaties).

I don't share Bickerton's skepticism of EU integration from the left (he wants national democracies strengthened, closer to Streeck than Habermas) and rather subscribe to the optimistic view that mass political struggle can fundamentally change the EU as anything created out of collective action can be transformed through open political contestation, but I admire his clear-headed and clear-eyed description of the EU and the political pressures around and within it. As is the case with all such books a good rule of thumb is the less predictions made the better, but it's still relevant 5 years after publication.

[Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the workings of the EU, this book has one major problem and that is the fact that it just missed Brexit, in fact throughout the book the idea of Brexit still seems like an unrealistic pipedream, the fact that it actually happened would require a bit of re-writing here. 

That being said, and if we set that aside, this is a quite well balanced look at workings that seem for most citizens of the EU to be excessively opaque, and so they are. The EU is essentially a technocratic institution composed of committees on top of committees where there is at the same time a lot of power and no power at all. 

Bickerton is particularly good at exposing the contradictions of the EU structure, and how it is at the same time more sinister than what EU enthusiasts think but less sinister than eurosceptics do. In fact if anything comes out of the book is a sense of ineffectual bureaucracy more than a sinister cabal, with both good and bad points to it. Recommended, particularly as a guide for the structure and functioning of the EU apparatus.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book truly is an introduction to the EU. Though it is more of a look on the institution in work with the rest of Europe than a detailed description of how the EU works on its own (then again there would be no EU without Europe so this is more of logical and more useful approach). It is directed to citizen’s of the EU with barely basic knowledge of the organization although it dives pretty quick to complex situations in the past to explain the present. Even so I wish every citizen of the member states of the EU read this as it’s putting the spotlight on the actual problems we are facing. Through that knowledge we could take on solutions for these problems and stop fighting imaginary enemies, as is much of the situation today.

It would be interesting if he wrote a new chapter on brexit and published a second version as it would be critical to his analysis.

[Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction into the motivation behind the setting up and running of the EU, its divisions and its intricacies. A Citizen's Guide also helps understand the real and made-up issues with the system and where criticism may be justified. I found the account fascinating, especially when it comes to politicians balancing their focus on national issues versus EU-related issues. Absolutely timely - if you want to join the Brexit debate, read this book first.

[Stephen]

Bickerton future-proofed this 2016 edition of his introduction to the EU by setting wider context and periodisation on its origins, development and current contextualisation at a moment of democratic deficit and populist/nationalist challenge. He sensibly hedged on the UK, seeming to lean only very lightly on the assumption that remain might prevail but also setting up expectations that a contraction of the block was more likely than ongoing expansion. Graphs and charts are used sparingly and help to illustrate.

It's a serviceable and sober introduction, well-matched to its subject matter.

[Francisco Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe is not the most accurate description of how does the EU work. But for that you have to read a lot of complicated literature and this book allows to have a quick overview.
It is really well written.

[Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as informatice or compelling as I was hoping this book would be, provides a basic introduction and fairly balanced account to the uninitiated, but you be better off elsewhere if you are seeking something more nuance and detailed.

[Timothy Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a succinct and clear description of the European Union, both its history and present day design. The author has offers intelligent criticism of the EU, and works to dispel common beliefs about the organization.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay to finally being able to take down my dad with facts about the EU. Bring it on dad!!!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the history of the EU, as well as its current struggles and institutions. As riveting as complicated international law can be.

[Benjamin Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and succinct. Bickerton is a left-Brexiteer, and wrote this book before The Referendum.

[Charles Bonfils-Duclos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Topical and fascinating!