In or out of Europe? What prospects for Ukraine?
Abstract The paper outlines the ambitions of, and economic and political reasons for, Ukraine to join the European Union (EU). Differences in interest and support for EU membership compared to other new EU members are discussed, including divisions among the population and elites, and the economic consequences of the enlargement for Ukraine. Public and elite in the EU are shown to be divided and lacking in support for further enlargement to include Ukraine (and Turkey). Alternatives to full membership of the EU are discussed. The European Neighbourhood Policy is considered to be the only viable alternative. This has political disadvantages, but some compensations. These include the possibilities for an independent trading policy with Russia and other parties. It has the advantage of allowing readjustment to market conditions to take place more slowly, ensuring political stability. Policy implications are that Ukraine should aim to be within Europe as part of the ENP, rather striving for EU membership which is unlikely to be conceded by the EU.
The Political Economy of EU Enlargement: Lessons from Switzerland
The issue of the free movement of persons occupies center stage in the negotiations on EU enlargement. Opinion polls and household surveys reveal that a majority of EU citizens are fearful of the consequences of the free movement of persons. Influenced by these surveys, the EU Commission and several studies have reviewed the pros and cons of alternative flexible transitional arrangement proposals ranging from the current bilateral guest-worker arrangements practiced by some EU members to the establishment of fixed quotas during a limited period of time. These suggestions are reminiscent of the Swiss experience with immigration. At the same time, under the system of direct democracy, the Swiss electorate has voted regularly since 1970 on the policies towards immigrants and on the shape of immigration policy. The Paper reviews the Swiss experience with immigration policy and draws on the unique direct-democracy setting to bypass the problem of ‘hypothetical bias’ plaguing the analysis of conventional survey data. Determinants of attitudes towards immigration are analysed using individual-level survey data for 2000.
The Rise And Decline Of The Free Trade Movement
William Cunningham (1849â€“1919) was a prominent British economist and economic historian. In this book, which was first published in 1905 as the second edition of a 1904 original, Cunningham presents a historical discussion of the free trade movement and its limitations in the light of contemporary economic developments. Profiles of Adam Smith and Richard Cobden are included, together with detailed notes, which are incorporated throughout. The text was based upon a series of lectures delivered at Cambridge University during the Michaelmas Term of 1903. It will be of value to anyone with an interest in economic history and perspectives on free trade.