Against European Integration The European Union and its Discontents

"Ivan Berend brings the sensibility of a leading economic historian whose personal history means he can see the European Union both from the inside and from the outside. He can see its promise yet note its failings. But he also sees that its current 'existential crisis,' as he calls it, means we must choose to either go forward with the bold experiment or slip back into the bad old ways that the EU in its origins was designed to transcend" - John Agnew, author of Globalization and Sovereignty: Beyond the Territorial Trap

"I highly recommend reading this book by a world-wide well-known expert author who presents a concise analysis of the given situation of the European Union, surrounded by enemies and attacked by populist-nationalists inside, but still strong enough to reinvent itself and positively influence the future history of Europe and the world." - László Valki, Professor of International Law, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest

"The EU created peace, democracy, and prosperity in a war-torn Europe; yet, it is now troubled. Why? How can it be saved? Students, opinion leaders, and the wider public should read Ivan Berend's elegant, succinct latest book to find answers." - Daniel Chirot, Herbert J. Ellison Professor of International Studies, University of Washington

"Populism is a political and ideological challenge to the EU - and potentially an existential threat. This book is a timely summary of its rise and how the EU can reinvent itself without sacrificing its core values." - Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy & Senior Fellow, UK in a Changing Europe