Forever the reluctant Europeans? / Sharing perspectives

Marco Cinnirella: It is hard to deny that the British public (and especially the English) seem more reluctant to embrace the European integration ideal than their colleagues on the European mainland. The European Commission's large-scale ongoing 'Eurobarometer' surveys consistently show the British (along with the Danes) as the least enthusiastic about integration and the European Union (in contrast to enthusiasts such as the Italians and the Irish). This is about the only consistency in British public opinion about Europe, which is otherwise open to as yet unpredictable fluctuations and apparent contradictions. Not surprisingly then, it often seems a commonplace to observe that the British are the reluctant Europeans. However, when it comes to understanding why this might be so, we enter murkier waters in which a whole host of theories, from a wide range of disciplines, compete for attention with lay observations from journalists and politicians.

Ingrid Lunt: The Society's centenary this year coincides with the 20th anniversary of the European Federation of Professional Psychologists Associations (see the interview with EFPPA's President, Tuomo Tikkanen, on p.354). EFPPA was founded at a time when the then European Economic Community was attempting to facilitate mobility across national boundaries. It seemed logical for national psychology associations to come together and form a federation to increase mutual understanding, to share procedures and practice…

Download PDF for article.