The Europeanization of the French polity: continuity, change and adaptation

Abstract

The Europeanization of France has accelerated reforms of French government and politics, and stiffened resistance to such reforms among public opinion and political elites. This article first evaluates the concept of Europeanization as a factor of change in comparison with other endogenous and exogenous pressures on French governance and public policy-making. It then systematically analyses the changes and reforms undergone in French decision-making and policy-making processes in connection with France's membership of the European Union. Finally, it evaluates the capacity of the current (1999) French political leadership to manage Europeanization in a context of instability in the French polity and in French society. The article contributes to the growing literature concerned with political strategies for the domestic management of European integration.