This book presents current theories of European integration, such as federalism, neo-functionalism and liberal intergovernmentalism with their strengths and weaknesses. It is then argued that the combination of republican theory with public good theory, the res publica of public goods, could better explain European integration. Public good theory has, however, to be adopted in order to make it applicable to European republicanism. Finally, the book demonstrates how this new framework can influence further academic debates, such as on sovereignty and monetary integration, externalities of a common European market and the driving force of European integration. It is maintained that as the republican approach does not follow a pure economic logic, there remains space for political considerations and motivations.

In this topical and interdisciplinary book, the author combines many important strings of European integration theory, history, economics and political sciences, which are clearly brought together into a coherent analytical discourse. Its strength is the interdisciplinary interaction between politics and economics, as well as theoretical and practical issues which are of high relevance for public debate in Europe.

This book will be of interest to scholars and students interested in economic integration, as well as history and political philosophy.

Autorentext

Thilo Zimmermann studied economics at the University of Cologne and Genoa. Before his PhD at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, he was working at the economic department of the German Embassy in Rome. During his PhD, he spent research periods at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and the Écoles Normales Supérieures (Rue d'Ulm and Cachan) in Paris.

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Introduction Part I: Shortcomings of Current Theories of EI

Chapter 2: Federalism, Sovereignty and Modernity

Chapter 3: The Obsolescence of Neo-Functionalism

Chapter 4: Liberalism: Do Economics Drive EI?

Chapter 5: How to Solve the Problems of EI-Theory?

Part II: European Republicanism

Chapter 6: Approaches to a European Republic

Chapter 7: A Political Philosophy of Public Goods Part III: Overcoming the Problems of EI-Theory

Chapter 8: Sovereignty and Monetary Integration

Chapter 9: Externalities caused by a Common Factor Market

Chapter 10: What drives European Integration?

Chapter 11: Conclusions