2017 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Crisis or Opportunity? European Integration and party politics at the national and EU-level in the wake of Brexit
| Project/Area Number |
17K03544
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| Research Institution | Oita University |
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Principal Investigator |
Day Stephen 大分大学, 経済学部, 教授 (60404357)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
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| Keywords | European intregation / Brexit / Populism / electoral momentum / political mainstream / Spitzenkandidat |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In June 2017, I was able to make an initial presentation to the EUSA-AP Conference (Tokyo) which provided invaluable feedback for the start of my project. Two months later, I was invited to give a lecture at the United Nations University (Tokyo) on the issue of Brexit. Indeed, much of this year has been taken-up following the on-going machinations of the UK's withdrawal process and the corresponding impact on the European Union. This has resulted in public lectures for the EUIJ-Kyushu and the Saga EU Association. In terms of party-politics above the level of the nation-state, I was asked to write a contributing chapter for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (co-ordinated by Steven Van Hecke, Leuven University). In December 2017, I attended the Congress of the European Liberals (Amsterdam) where I observed preparations for the 2019 European elections and the process for selecting a leading candidate (spitzenkandidat); undertook numerous on-the-spot interviews; and engaged in some debates.While in Amsterdam, I also had the opportunity to undertake some archival research on the start of the European integration process post-1945. In addition, I visited Ireland where I undertook numerous interviews with national parties, across the political spectrum, about their views on Brexit and their relations with their corresponding Europarty. The information I collected is presently feeding into a paper I will present in Taiwan (EUSA-AP) in June 2018.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
I believe I have made steady progress during the year not least when it comes to tracking events that are setting the scene for the forthcoming 2019 European elections which are likely to prove to be decisive for the future direction of the EU integration process.The opportunities to give public talks and presentations, and undertake interviews, have helped to galvanise my thinking and have ensured some tangible outputs.If I have one criticism of myself it is that maybe I have spent too much time on the issue of Brexit at the expense of European integration which I will endeavour to rectify next year.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
I hope to be able to continue following the above pattern during the second year of the project. I will endeavour to place a little more emphasis on the EU dimension of the story rather than the UK dimension.
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| Causes of Carryover |
A small amount will be carried over due to the delay of publication of a number of books that I had hoped to purchase. They have now been published and will be ordered this year.
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