Book Review: Raymond Taras, Fear and the Making of Foreign Policy: Europe and Beyond
| Author | Christopher Reeves |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929916649823 |
| Published date | 01 August 2016 |
| Date | 01 August 2016 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsComparative Politics |
449
By its method and scope the book is a
Taras suggests that President Sarkozy’s pursuit
noteworthy piece of work which will provide
of a Mediterranean Union as part of the EU’s
readers with a comprehensive study of modern
southern neighbourhood policy may have been
political parties, especially in terms of their
designed to compensate for the stricter immi-
exact membership numbers. With its clear lan-
gration policies that he was pursuing at home.
guage the book is suitable for graduate and
In the case of Poland, Taras partially disagrees
undergraduate students, journalists and anyone
with this reviewer when he argues that the
interested in modern party politics. Not only is
‘Russo-hypopsia’ reflected in the foreign pol-
it a timely and extremely useful addition to the
icy of the Law and Justice Party, which gov-
ongoing debate on party membership, but it is
erned Poland in the period 2005–2007,
also an engaging, well-written piece of work
signified a break from the policies pursued by
with a comparative focus which will provide
previous Polish governments and the Civic
readers with a comprehensive study of party
Platform government that succeeded it. It
politics. Overall, this book is the only one so
could, however, be argued that the govern-
far to deal with party membership in such a
ment’s foreign policy was largely a continua-
broad way, including in-depth theorising as
tion of well-established foreign policy
well as empirically grounded insights.
traditions, albeit accompanied by a great deal
of exaggerated rhetoric. In the case of Sweden,
Michał Radecki
Taras clearly identifies a tension in Swedish
(University of Opole)
foreign policy between wanting to live up to
The Author(s) 2016
the country’s ‘Good Samaritan’ credentials,
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and the domestic social problems that have
DOI: 10.1177/1478929916649821
been caused by its open approach...
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