Abstract
After the Second World War, European states had various national and international alternatives at their disposal to assist in their revitalisation. Facing constrained voice for these alternatives, actors who perceived the European Community for Steel and Coal (ECSC) to be the best option prevailed in six states, as postulated in the first proposition. The UK and Scandinavia remained out, enjoying better available alternatives and less continental loyalty. The European Defence Community failed because of better alternatives that were also effectively expressed. The ECSC offered a platform for continued exchange, leading to the European Economic Community (EEC). Dissatisfaction with the EEC led to partial exit and the use of voice, with full withdrawal remaining unattractive due to the increasing costs associated with leaving the integrating communities and the lack of better alternatives. Therefore, internal construction continued, reflected by the build-up of a European power centre and parliamentary alignments.
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Notes
- 1.
EC refers here to the three communities, ECSC, EURATOM, and EEC, whereas EEC refers to the European Economic Community.
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Vollaard, H. (2018). How European Integration Started Despite Ever-Present Disintegrative Forces. In: European Disintegration. Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-41465-6_7
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