The Europeanisation of interest groups in post-communist states: The case of Estonia

Résumé 0

The Europeanisation approach covers a very broad spectrum, and the notion has been blurred by the extensive use that has been made of it by academics. Visier's analysis of Turkish interest groups in Brussels serves to highlight a gap between the currently problematic Turkey-EU membership process and the successful integration of these groups in the EU political arena in Brussels. By focusing on both the socialisation processes of Turkish interest groups' members and the collective trajectories of these groups, this chapter takes a fresh approach to the Europeanisation process. Ultimately, the analysis demonstrates that if we are to understand the role played by of these social actors it is necessary to look beyond institutional relationships between the EU and Turkey and the accession process alone. Research has to take into account national, international and transnational variables and study how they overlap.