Oinousses, Greece

European Limits : Culture, Identity, Society

It is clear that the serious crises that Europe has been experiencing since 2008 have multiple causes, and that the difficulty of overcoming them is largely due to the defects in the exercise of power at the level of the Union, in the dual dimension of its lack of efficiency and its insufficient legitimacy. At the root of this is the knot of sovereignty, a real stumbling block that risks blocking the Union's path towards a desirable future for its citizens.

The purpose of our approach is to point out the obstacles, both political and ideological, that have so far prevented Europe from reacting successfully to the challenges that threaten the very survival of the euro, which in turn is decisive for the survival of the Union. Τhe fundamental questions confronted in the debate on the future of Europe – democratic legitimacy, power relations, and European identity – have not lost their pertinence.

Since the height of the migration crisis in 2015, the EU has implemented measures to improve its control over external borders and migration flows.

The EU and its member states are intensifying efforts to establish an effective, humanitarian and safe European migration policy.

Course leader

Panagiotis Grigoriou

Target group

Undergraduates
Graduates
PhD Candidates
Researchers/Postdocs

Course aim

A major perception of the post-enlargement Union is indeed the question of political-cultural diversity, on the one hand, and the perceived need of a common European identity and set of values, on the other. The necessity of a common identity is derived from several assumptions regarding European integration and its relation to democracy.

First, Europe is understood as some kind of answer to the eroding consequences of globalization for the nation-state and democratic decision-making. In this sense, the identification of a distinct set of European values would mean the demarcation of Europe as an sui generis institutional entity in the world and the defense of specifically European values in terms of democracy, human rights, and social democracy.

Second, a common set of values is deemed a conditio sine qua non for the emergence of a European public sphere and democratized European order. As the traditional classical approach toward s European integration is increasingly challenged, the need for authentic democratic influence of the European ‘demos’ is seen as the only way of creating a democratic order on a supra-national level. But, in analogy with the homogenous political culture of the nation-state, in order to function European democracy is seen as in need of a common politico-cultural framework.

Third, the negative and dark experience with European nationalisms induces the European Union to endorse cultural diversity and mutual respect and tolerance within a common European framework. Our main objective is to explore the increased possibility for meaningful participation and articulation of diversity within an eventual Convention on the Future of Europe, which would revise the Lisbon conventional system. Even if the diversity of the new and prospective member states is widely acknowledged, it is mostly not deemed a fundamental challenge to the direction of the European project itself. It is necessary to open a debate on the idea if the future European enlargement constitutes or not a major challenge to Europe.

Fee info

EUR 0: Free of charge
EUR 0: Free of charge