Civil society and governance in Europe. From national to international linkages

Abstract:
The research presented in this book – based on new primary data – demonstrates that in terms of civil society actors adapting to the European political space the Europeanization process has an uneven development.

This book integrates ‘top-down’ approaches for the study of relationships within the developing EU-multilevel system (i.e., the consequences of Europeanization for civil society at the local level) and ‘bottom-up’ approaches (i.e., the consequences of civil society for the process of European integration and democracy in the EU). The contributors argue that exploration of these recursive linkages requires a rethinking of the relationships between (local, national, and trans-national) civil society on the one hand, and multi-level governance on the other. In analyzing the opportunities for civil society associations to contribute to European integration and decision-making from various perspectives, the following findings are presented, amongst others:

- engagement with and confidence in the EU (compared to national institutions) is relatively weak among associational members
- party elites play a key gatekeeper role in the European space
- the EU and interest groups have had limited success in stimulating the development of citizen engagement, civil society and social capital in various countries.

In the rapidly expanding field of research on democratic decision-making in Europe, this book will be welcomed by academics and scholars alike at postgraduate levels and above. Experts working in the field of European decision-making (such as lawyers and lobbyists) who are looking for conclusions based on high-quality empirical research will also find much in this book to engage them.

Contents:
Part I: Introduction
1. Introduction: From Bottom-up and Top-down Towards Multi-level Governance in Europe - Jan W. van Deth and William A. Maloney
2. Bringing Society Back In: Civil Society, Social Capital and the Third Sector - Annette Zimmer and Matthias Freise

Part II: Bottom-up: Civil Society and Voluntary Associations
3. The Associational Impact on Attitudes Towards Europe: A Tale of Two Cities - William A. Maloney and Jan W. van Deth
4. The Political Opportunity Structure for Civil Society Organisations in a Multilevel Context: Social Movement Organisations and the European Union - Marc Hooghe
5. Bringing the Citizens Closer to the EU? The Role of Civil Society in Wales in the European Convention - Deborah Cook
6. Europeanisation as Empowerment of Civil Society: All Smoke and Mirrors? - Cristina Elena Parau and Jerry Wittmeier Bains
7. Citizenship, Welfare and the Opportunities for Political Mobilisation: Migrants and Unemployed Compared - Didier Chabanet and Marco Giugni

Part III: Top-down: Interest Mediation and Decision Making
8. Addressing the ‘Communication Gap’: The Difficult Connection of European and Domestic Political Spaces - Cécile Leconte
9. The Role of Interest Groups in Fostering Citizen Engagement: The Determinants of Outside Lobbying - Christine Mahoney
10. Coalition Structures in National Policy Networks: The Domestic Context of European Politics - Silke Adam, Margit Jochum and Hanspeter Kriesi
11. European Union Support for Civil Society in the Baltic States - Susan Stewart

Part IV: In Conclusion
12. Conclusion: Europeanization, Multi-level Governance and Civil Society - William A. Maloney and Jan W. van Deth