It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
The European Union: A Citizen's Guide

The European Union: A Citizen's Guide

Summary

'An indispensable book for these times' - Big Issue

'A lucid, helpful guide to the EU's structures and operating methods' - Financial Times

For most of us today, 'Europe' refers to the European Union. At the centre of a seemingly never-ending crisis, the EU remains a black box, closed to public understanding. Is Europe ruled by Germany or by European bureaucrats? Does a single European economy exist after all these years of economic integration? And should the EU have been awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2012? Critics tell us the EU undermines democracy. Are they right?

In this provocative volume, political scientist Chris Bickerton provides an answer to all these key questions and more at a time when understanding what the EU is and what it does is more important than ever before.

Reviews

  • The European Union: A Citizen's Guide by Chris Bickerton is a good place to find out how Europe works: the European council, the council of Europe and the Byzantine committee structure that operates in virtual secrecy... My advice is this. Use Bickerton... to learn how the EU works... And then, whatever Cameron says, you can make up your own mind about the future
    Roland White, Sunday Times

About the author

Chris Bickerton

Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more