Abstract

According to the European Commission, Europe is facing a transversal crisis that obliges the rethinking and redefinition of its narrative. As a result of the economic crisis that has affected Europe during the past years, Europe has in turn faced a structural crisis that forces the reconsideration of its own existence. The foundation of the European project, the promises of Democracy and Human Dignity, need to be assessed. The internal crisis and global challenges require a paradigm shift to establish a new foundation upon which to keep those promises alive. This crisis is multidimensional: environmental, cultural, political, social, economic, etc. and the European Union should tackle it as such.

The book aims at contributing to that debate by offering a new conceptual approach to the core ideas of European integration process (sovereignty, diversity, common challenges, etc). By doing so, the edited volume settles the ground for some institutional and legal transformations that may reflect this new narrative for a new Europe.
This book provides a well-curated set of essays that are simultaneously honest in tackling hard choices and issues, academically rigorous, and yet fundamentally Europeanist. The authors take head-on difficult dilemmas and challenges posed by the European project, such as the conceptualization of supra-national democracy, the narratives against a European constitution, the inexistence of a European demos, the inevitability of further integration, or the recent para-constitutional developments. This book is thus an indispensable stepping stone to revitalize the European project.
Angel Saz-Carranza, Director, ESADEgeo Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics

Daniel Innerarity is Professor of Social and Political Philosophy at the University of the Basque Country, Research Professor at the Basque Foundation for Science (IKERBASQUE) and Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (Globernance).

Jonathan White is Professor of Politics at the European Institute, London School of Economics.

Christina Astier is Researcher at Globernance – The Basque Institute for Democratic Governance (San Sebastián). Her research is mainly focused on global ethics, in particular global distributive justice, and the legitimacy of global governance institutions.

Ander Errasti is Researcher at Globernance – The Basque Institute for Democratic Governance (San Sebastián).

Groups are hold together by narratives: Who are we? Where are we headed? Our identity depends upon the functioning of these narratives. Europe knows such narratives, too. The European Union is meant to guarantee peace on the continent and has succeeded therein. The other part of its narrative’s promise is social justice and welfare. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, which left half of Italy and Spain’s youth unemployed, this narrative was more than challenged. Europe’s narrative is embodied in the Western narrative. But which West are we referring to? There are different approaches, yet all Westerners claim to be committed to a specific set of values. This book introduces not only the necessity to become aware of the need for a functioning narrative for Europe, but also suggests what such a narrative may look like.
Alexander Görlach, Harvard University, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs