Abstract
The question of 'modernisation' of the state in Cyprus has recently received a great deal of attention in Cypriot politics. During the last Parliamentary elections in May 2001, the question of 'modernisation' entered the political dictionary of the mainstream parties. All political forces professed to be 'European', they pledged commitment to the EU accession process and the debate over 'modernisation' was closely finked to the policies of harmonisation with the EU in the fight of accession. However, little critical work exists to examine Europeanisation that assesses the specific policies employed, the policy goals and kinds of issues the processes entail. It has become the 'sacred cow' of Cypriot politics. This paper aims to set the Europeanisation of Cyprus into context. ft first looks at the policy of accession as a solution to the Cyprus problem and then it critically reviews the literature on Europeanisation in Cyprus. Finally, the paper considers the 'southern European question' in an effort to demystify 'Europe' and proposes a broader interpretative framework for policy formulation, so that 'modernisation' takes into account notions such as democratisation, civil society development, social justice and social welfare.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 47-73 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Journal | Cyprus Review |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2001 |