The Fall and Rise of National Interest: A Contemporary Approach - Hardcover

“The concept of ‘National Interest’ is central to the study of IR. In this path breaking analysis Serena Giusti asserts the continuing theoretical relevance of the concept through carefully researched case studies of Brexit and the EU. This book represents a major contribution to the field of IR”.

― Alan Cafruny, Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Relations, Hamilton College, New York,

“Serena Giusti’s book is a brilliant trip into one of the most resilient and used concept by scholars and practitioners in the field of IR. A guide to understand its constant resurrection.”

― Vittorio Emanuele Parsi, Professor of International Relations, Catholic University, Milan

“This bookprovides a welcome and long-overdue breath of fresh air to academic and policy debates alike. A must-read for students, policy-makers and journalists wishing to better understand the fluid concept of National Interest so invoked in current politics and in many electoral campaigns.”

― Leila Simona Talani, Professor of International Political Economy, King’s College London

“Against the backdrop of a connected world, how to make sense of the resurgence of the national interest in international affairs? Serena Giusti masterfully unpacks this complex and controversial concept that lies at the core of current affairs.”

― Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome

 

This book intends to make NI more accessible and viable, especially as a critical device for better understanding contemporary politics. The purpose is to refresh the debate on NI and to explore this fascinating concept, appreciating its multifaceted and malleable nature. Throughout time, NI has been presented as an ambiguous but obstinate concept in politics, political discourse, and theoretical elaboration. NI has constantly resurfaced, and many designate themselves as its protectors. Its increasing relevance, pertinence and recurrence make it clear that it can no longer be ignored in political analysis.

Serena Giusti is Head of the Programme on Eastern Europe and Russia at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, and Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for International Studies in Milan.