Spatial Aspects of Industrial Development in Western Europe: Economic and Political Areas

This paper argues that an industrial firm may exist on a regional, national, continental, or world scale. This dimension may be different for market, actual selling space, basic social existence, and plant location.

A review of the main industrial sectors in present day Europe shows that most major firms are European-sized for market, circulation of commodities, and plant-location aspects, while they are definitely national for government help and subsidies, and that very often these helps and subsidies are vital for their survival.

This contradiction helps to explain the difficulties, hazards, and accidents on the European scene. The internationalization of the economy pushes towards European integration; but the necessities of reproducing the basic conditions of production are dependent on the specific situation in each country: the function of political and ideological reproduction can nowadays be exerted only by national governments. European unification seems to be both necessary and impossible at the same time; its pursuit necessarily involves a collision course.