Italy and EC Membership Evaluated

This is a study of the costs and benefits to Italy of EC membership. Compared to their counterparts in the rest of Europe, Italians have always been amongst the most favourable to European integration. The level of domestic consensus is borne out by the fact that since the 1970s, no Italian party has adopted the anti-European platform. This has reflected a perception that Italy would benefit politically and economically from association with a larger network of states in Europe. Certainly in political terms the benefits have outweighed the costs. The contributors to this volume assess whether or not this will continue to be the case in the future.