The domestic and internationale politics of the next Mediterranean enlargement of the European Union

摘要

Until October 1996 it seemed undeniable that the two Mediterraneanudisland States of Cyprus and Malta were ahead of the field of twelveudaspirants in the EU membership race. Turkey was exerting all itsuddiplomatic efforts to keep up with them, though the widely held view wasudthat her membership chances were negligible. Enlargement of the EU toudinclude Cyprus and Malta posed no economic problems for the Unionud(however, neither did it promise many advantages). Both applicants,udbeing micro-states, would be easy to absorb, especially since both hadudbuoyant economies.