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Threat, Euroscepticism and the Slowdown of EU Integration: A Cultural Evolutionary Perspective

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Overview

Paper Summary › Explain Like I'm Five › Conflicts of Interest › Identified Limitations › Rating Explanation › Good to know › Topic Hierarchy › File Information ›

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title
EU Integration Slowdown: Did the Fall of the Soviet Union Make European Countries Selfish?

This study suggests that increased cooperation within the European Union during the Cold War was driven by the external threat of the Soviet bloc, and the subsequent slowdown was a consequence of reduced external pressure and increased internal competition. Using a limited dataset of seven countries and five decades, they found a strong correlation between increased Eurosceptic voting and stalled integration, indicating a shift towards national interests after the Cold War.

Explain Like I'm Five

Imagine countries as kids sharing toys. When there's a bully (the Soviet Union) around, they share nicely. But when the bully's gone, they start squabbling over the toys again.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Limitations

Limited sample size (five decades, seven countries)
The data analysis is based on a limited number of countries and decades, which weakens the strength of the causal claims. Including more data points would provide a more robust picture and make the findings more generalizable. More granular data about types of Euroscepticism could also help to disentangle motivations.
Delegation measured at aggregate EU level only, variations between policy areas are not assessed
The analysis looks at delegation at the aggregate EU level, which doesn't account for variations in integration levels across different policy areas. Some policy areas may experience deeper integration than others, which the aggregated measure obscures.
Limited generalizability due to geographical and temporal focus
While the statistical evidence is compelling, the small number of data points and the focus on Western European countries limits the generalizability of the findings. Including more countries and a wider timeframe would strengthen the claims.

Rating Explanation

This paper presents an interesting application of cultural evolution theory to explain EU integration dynamics. However, the small sample size, limited timeframe and data granularity cap the rating at a 3, as the causal claims are not yet robustly supported.

Good to know

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File Information

Original Title: Threat, Euroscepticism and the Slowdown of EU Integration: A Cultural Evolutionary Perspective
Uploaded: August 01, 2025 at 02:40 PM
Privacy: Public