Chryssochoou, Dimitris N. 1970-

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CHRYSSOCHOOU, Dimitris N. 1970-

PERSONAL: Born March, 1970, in Athens, Greece. Education: University of Athens, B.A., 1991; London School of Economics and Political Science, M.Sc., 1991; University of Reading, Ph.D., 1996.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—Department of Politics, University of Exeter, Northcote House, The Queen's Drive, Exeter EX4 4QJ, England. E-mail—D.N.Chrysso [email protected].

CAREER: Taught at Birkbeck College and London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England; University of Reading, Reading, England, and Portsmouth University, Portsmouth, England; University of Exeter, Exeter, England, reader in European integration, 1997—. Visiting professor and scholar, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, and Columbia University, New York, NY.

WRITINGS:

(With Michael J. Tsinisizelis, Stelios Stavridis, and Kostas Ifantis) Europe and Change: Theory and Reform in the European Union, Manchester University Press (New York, NY), 1999, revised edition, 2003.

Democracy in the European Union, I. B. Tauris (New York, NY), 2000.

Theorizing European Integration, Sage (London, England), 2001.

(Editor, with Dimitris Xenakis) The Emerging Euro-Mediterranean System, Manchester University Press (New York, NY), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS: Dimitris N. Chryssochoou's research and writing focus primarily on democratic theory, comparative federalism, and European integration. Europe and Change: Theory and Reform in the European Union, written with Michael J. Tsinisizelis, Stelios Stavridis, and Kostas Ifantis, discusses various theories relating to the integration of Europe, an important topic at the end of the twentieth century as the continent moved toward use of a single currency and its nations became interdependent in other ways as well. It also looks at what has been accomplished by various treaties among members of the European Union (EU) and what lies ahead. "The contribution made by Chryssochoou and his co-authors," commented Roger Morgan in Government and Opposition, "is to urge us to break away from the zero-sum dichotomy which sees the EU either as a quasi-federation or as an essentially member-state-dominated network, and to see it instead as a negotiated structure in which the powers of the central institutions and those of the constituent states are carefully calibrated and balanced." The book is "a useful contribution to the debate," Morgan added. Robert Bideleux, writing in Political Studies, thought the volume's quality "uneven," with too little attention to some subjects and too much to others, but he found some portions "stimulating" and recommended the book to every university "dealing with European integration and international relations."

Democracy in the European Union looks at each European country's democratic heritage and processes as well as how democracy is practiced in the bodies that govern relationships between the countries. "He provides valuable insights into the question of democratic accountability within the complex mosaic of fifteen nation states, each with very different political traditions and institutions," remarked Terry Bishop in the Times Literary Supplement. Chryssochoou also makes a case that "what really is needed is the construction of a supranational European democracy," related Gianfransco Pasquino in West European Politics, with "a strengthening of the representative capabilities of the European parliament." Pasquino wished for more data to support Chryssochoou s argument, but still observed that the book offers "much of interest on democracy and democratisation."