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