The Uncertain Union: British and Norwegian Social Democrats in an Integrating Europe (Perspectives on Europe)

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, both the British Labour Party and the Norwegian Labor Party (DNA) were strongly opposed to the European Community (EC). However, following changes in the international and European contexts in the 1980s and 1990s, both parties began to reevaluate their relationships towards the EC. By the end of the 1980s, Labour became the image of the "good European", while the DNA remained deeply divided over the issue. This text explores three main questions surrounding these policy changes. Why did these two parties develop such distinctive policy responses when confronted with similar international and European developments? What role did international, European, and national factors play in this divergence? What are the implications of these divergent policy developments for theories of European integration and social democracy?