A diet of Brussels. The changing face of Europe

Book abstract:

The Right Honourable Sir Leon Brittan QC was a member of the European Commission for longer than any other previous British Commissioner, holding two of its most powerful positions, Commissioner for Competition and Commissioner for External Trade as well as being its Vice President from 1995. Based on these experiences, Brittan looks back over the last decade of European politics and forward to the priorities of the next decade.

The key European issues of the last ten years that are examined in the book include: the shift towards free trade and free-market policies; the success of the Single Market; the case for Economic and Monetary Union; how Europe's institutions work and how they need to change; and how the centre-right has successfully shaped so much of this programme.

Looking towards the future, Brittan sets out an ambitious agenda - calling for economic reform, an enlarged EU and a more coherent foreign policy. All of this must be done within the context of engaging European citizens more fully in the process and therefore better information must be made available.

In the final chapter of the book, Brittan looks at the special relationship between his own country - Britain - and its EU partners. Based partly on his experiences as a pro-European Cabinet Minister in the Thatcher government, he examines the Conservative Party's approach to Europe and highlights the need for the part to engage fully with Europe if they are to be elected on the domestic front.

This book provides anyone interested in the nature of European politics with an insider's account of what Europe has achieved and the major challenges it faces now.