Foreign Ministries in the European Union Integrating Diplomats [Hardcover]

What role, if any, does the foreign ministry perform in contemporary world politics? Is the argument that it is in a state of terminal decline accurate or rooted in only partial understandings of its changing character? Foreign Ministries in the European Union explores this theme in the context of the EU where foreign ministry has played a key role in the development of integration but where its role is increasingly questioned. The contributors examine the foreign ministry in thirteen member states and draw conclusions that challenge some conventional wisdoms.List of Tables and Figures Contributors Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction: Gatekeepers and Boundary Spanners: Thinking about Foreign Ministries in the European Union; B.Hocking The Evolving Role of Foreign Ministries in the European Union: The Conduct of European Affairs; D.Spence Austria; H.Neuhold Belgium; R.Coolsae t and A.Voet Denmark; K.E.J?rgensen Finland; E .Antola France; M.Morisse-Schilbach Germany; E.Regelsberger United Kingdom; D.Allen Ireland; B.Tonra Italy; M.Zucconi Netherlands; D.Hellema Portugal; J.Correia Spain; I.Molina and F.Rodrigo Sweden; B.Sundelius and M.Ekengren Conclusion; B.Hocking and D.Spence

'This is an indispensable book for the material it provides on both foreign ministries and national foreign policies. Most of the country-studies contain statistical details on the extent of national diplomatic services and the number of missions - data surprisingly difficult to put one's hands on quickly.' - Christopher Hill, London School of Economics and Political Science, International Affairs

DAVID ALLEN Senior Lecturer in European Studies, Loughborough University, UKESKO ANTOLA Jean Monnet Chair, European Studies, University of Turku, FinlandRIK COOLSAET Professor of International Relations, University of Ghent, BelgiumJOSE CORREIA Professor of International Relations, Lusiada University, LisbonMAGNUS EKENGREN Senior Lecturer, Swedish National Defence College, SwlÓ.