Book review: a fascinating take on recent European history

Alarums and Excursions A former speechwriter for the European Council president looks at some of the key challenges that the EU has faced over the past decade.

Dr Matthew Partridge
By
published
in Features

948-books-Alarums-and-Excursions

Improvising Politics on the European Stage

Agenda Publishing (£25)

Buy on Amazon

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up

British politicians may feel they've spent the last few years in perpetual crisis mode, but those in Brussels have had bigger troubles, including the fallout from Brexit, the euro crisis, the situation in Ukraine, and the refugee crisis. This book, from a former speechwriter for the European Council president, looks at some of the key challenges that the EU has faced over the past decade.

The author attempts to be as objective as possible, but he clearly has little time for what he sees as selfish objections to granting greater powers to European institutions in areas such as fiscal policy and asylum and immigration. And when he looks at the fight between the functionalist (technocrats), federalist (integrationists) and confederationist (nationalists) visions of Europe's future, his sympathies are clearly with the federalists, while understanding that most people in Europe don't feel the same way.

He admits that when federalists talk about making Europe "more democratic" what they really mean is increasing the power of the EU at the expense of individual nation states. This disconnect between Europe's elites and its citizenry is, in his view, the big force driving the current populist backlash. The book could do with some editing, but it is a fascinating take on events in recent European history.

Dr Matthew Partridge
Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri

Latest