5. Member States of the EU

Question 1

What are the groups if we divide the EU by geography?

Answer 1

Baltic group (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)
Nordic bloc (Sweden, Finland, Denmark),
Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg),
Iberians (Spain and Portugal),
Mediterraneans (Greece, Malta, Italy, Croatia?),
British isles (Ireland, United Kingdom) but this showed deep division in regard to European engagement),
Visegrád (Poland, Hungary, Czech Rep., Slovakia)

Question 2

What are some of the main ways we can divide the EU based on common culture and society?

Answer 2

Language
Religious; Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Islam
Imperial past; Germany, Austria-Hungary, Britain, Spain, Portugal
Iron Curtain vs. NATO - CW

But with the EU becoming more multicultural is this useful?

Question 3

What are the complications in using size as a category?

Answer 3

Small states are over represented in the EU Parl.
Large states are able to deal out and resist pressure
How do we measure size? Surface Area, Population

Question 4

How can we use Policy Distinctions to categorise member states?

Answer 4

Socio-economic Political Ideology; continental capitalist model; Christian democracy, French statism, nordic social democracy vs neoliberalism

Support for integration
[UK], Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic - Eurosceptic
France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg - Pro-integration

Liberal vs. true Europe
rise of populism across Europe acknowledging the commonalities between the states on issues such as immigration, nationalism, Europeanisation, and conservatism