Tiefenwirkung europäischer Politik

The Maastricht era"s futuristic vision of a Europe of the Regions is fading. On the agenda is the debate on the Regions" role and prospects in Union Europe. Through the eyes of regional protagonists this study - the first to do so - gives us a hit and miss comparative view of the regions" readiness for Europe. Ms Knodt compares the challenges facing two German Lands, Baden Würtemberg and Lower Saxony and how they cope. What does it come to? In view of the stickiness (in the mud?) of regional politics style and the vastly different resources in the hands of the regions, what we see in the Europe of the Regions is persistent disparities, few clear winners and a host of losers.
The study comes up - a special goody - with first-time empirically fine-honed answers to questions about regional government in the Union. It is also a magnificent open sesame to study of Europe"s multi-layer system from a regional vantage point. At Mannheim University and the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research - the latter boasting the abbreviated title MZES - Ms Knodt is a science person.