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영어

This article investigates how the UK Cabinet shaped policies on the European Community and European integration during the Thatcher era. It attempts to answer the main question of how the Thatcher government’s attitudes on European integration shifted. What happened in the Conservative party? Drawing upon the action-orientation model and party politics, this article emphasizes the political idea in shaping political attitudes and political conflict. During Thatcher’s second term as Prime Minister, the Conservative Party under her rule, guided the UK to a pro-European attitude in completing the SEM. However, this pro-European stance changed when the direction of European integration deviated from the British government’s idea of integration. This resulted in Thatcher’s Eurosceptic attitude toward the SEA and TEU. Thatcher’s Euroscepticism led to a direct challenge by Europhiles to her leadership. As a result of the conflict, Thatcher was forced to resign as Prime Minister in November, 1990.