Small states, international relations and the European Union

Abstract

Power in the international community of states is usually associated with large states. However, small countries cannot and should not be ignored in the present system of international relations. The purpose of this dissertation is to demonstrate that small states are viable and important in world and regional politics. After looking at small states in an international context, the dissertation focuses on small countries in the EU, which is one of the most successful regional organisations today. The role of small states is further demonstrated in the cases of Ireland, Finland and Malta, and their experiences in navigating EU regional politics.