Democracy and Sovereignty in the European Community

The Maastricht Treaty reactivated a debate about the future of the European Union: does it still make sense to talk of a sovereign state, or is power now moving upwards in the direction of a political union and downwards to a regional level? What are the implications of such trends for democracy? In this book, Newman aims to correct misrepresentation by both the "Eurosceptics" and "Euroenthusiasts" by examining the issues involved in the sovereignty debate. He discusses key questions in democracy, drawing on traditional concepts of political thought and empirical evidence to clarify the current situation. He offers critical insights into the EU and some of the arguments frequently used in its defence. But he rejects the nationalist opposition, and presents a case for a democratic EU which would be worthy of support.