Jolly book explores relationship between EU and nationalist movements

“The European Union and the Rise of Regionalist Parties” published by the University of Michigan Press

A new book by Seth K. Jolly, associate professor of political science, asserts that the European Union (EU) promotes regional nationalist movements in European countries, rather than having the weakening effect that most observers assume. In his new book, “The European Union and the Rise of Regionalist Parties,” Jolly uses a cross-national quantitative study to explain this phenomenon. The book was published late last month by the University of Michigan Press.

Jolly proposes the Viability Theory, which explains that the EU makes smaller states more viable and politically attractive by diminishing the relative economic and political advantages of larger-sized states. The benefits the EU provides to its member states — such as access to markets, financial institutions, and foreign policy — allows regionalist movements to more legitimately claim that they do not need the state to survive. To further explore his argument, Jolly looks specifically into the example of the Scottish National Party.

The book stresses the need for scholars and policy makers to understand the effect of European integration on regionalist mobilization in Europe, since the movements could potentially result in reshaping the European landscape and national boundaries.

Jolly is an associate professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. His research focuses on the interaction of political institutions and political institutions in Europe. Since 2010, Jolly has also served as one of the principal investigators for the Chapel Hill Expert Survey, which collects expert assessments of party positions on a variety of issues, including left-right ideology, European integration, and immigration. 10/15/15