One of the most frequent criticisms levelled at the European Community is the discrepancy between federalist rhetoric and the intergovernmental response: between its ideological aspirations and contemporary political reality. The federalist heritage of the European Community has become discredited by contemporary political thinkers, and yet it still forms an important part of the community's ideological foundations. Within this book the contrasting theories of Spinelli and Monnet are subjected to rigorous criticism, examining the benefits and pitfalls of their proposals for a unified Europe, and the probability of the gap between theory and actuality ever being bridged in the future.

Michael Burgess is Senior Lecturer in Political Science at Plymouth Polytechnic.