Introduction: Studying European Integration of Local Government

The introduction addresses the disparity between an increasing relevance of local government in European governance and a lack of comprehensive studies on European integration of local authorities. It discusses the existing works on local government, as opposed to regions, and the EU to demonstrate the need for a theoretical perspective linking the macro-trajectories of European integration with the micro-dynamics at the local level. Subsequently, the chapter introduces the book’s main objectives, themes and arguments.