The Size of States in the European Union: Theoretical and Conceptual Perspectives

A link is made between definition and theory in considering the size of states and behaviour and influence within the European Union. Traditional variables in such definitions have held back theoretical understandings. The article offers a wider range of variables to understand the concept of size, and provides a conceptual framework that includes six categories referring to the size of state. Both the ‘action capacity’ and ‘vulnerability’ of states, internally and externally, help define the size of a state and its behaviour within the EU.