European and Irish Integration

Abstract

The politics of substate regional development and the politics of nation-states and nationalisms are brought into heightened conflict and contradiction by the pro cesses of integration in the European Union. The con tradictions, however, are opening up new political opportunities at regional levels. This article explores relationships between regionalism and nationalism in the case of Ireland, and more particularly Northern Ireland. Because of the violent national conflict, and the highly centralized nature of the state both in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, some of the tensions at the heart of the European integration are exemplified particularly sharply. We explored these mainly through in-depth interviews with leaders from both sides of industry and the various political parties in Northern Ireland, and with politicians and civil servants in Brussels. We report on the ways in which the interrelationships between regional econ omic development and the national conflict are per ceived and argued, highlighting the different strategies adopted for reconciling regionalism and nationalism.