"Who are the citizens of Europe?
Current citizenship laws in the European Union vary dramatically. The tension between freedom of movement and national self-determination of citizenship within the EU has the potential to create serious conflicts in the future, writes Rainer Bauböck. Taking European citizenship seriously means a shared understanding of who the future citizens of Europe are to be.
Europe diary: Europe and the world
29 March 2007
BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell on the European Union's growing, but often unrecognised, role in the field of foreign policy, and continuing support for the idea of an EU foreign minister.
Dossier of Tuesday, April 3, 2007; Kosovo and the UN Security Council
The UN Security Council begins talks about the plan proposed by UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari for the future of Kosovo. He recommands an "independence under international supervision" fort this Serb province that has been under UN administration since 1999. The position of Russia, which could exercise its right of veto in Serbia's favour, will be decisive. But even the EU member states have not yet reached a consensus.......
A European periphery roundup
It’s not just in Ukraine that things are happening. All around Europe’s eastern fringe, people seem to have become a tad unsettled by the onset of Spring, says Nosemonkey. A real good round up for the interested parties............
Turkey is the 7th Biggest Exporter to the EU
From Kiki:
* Bruckner, Islam, and Multiculturalism
* Europe and the Multipolar world
Equally criminal? Totalitarian experience and European memory
Instead of dwelling upon the catastrophes of the twentieth century, many Europeans ask if we should not thoughtfully "forget" them. However, the endurance of historical memory in the united Europe is demonstrated by contemporary political differences between European member states, which can be dealt with only if a European memory is developed. The difficulty here lies in paying due respect to the memory of the crimes both of National Socialism and of Soviet totalitarianism while avoiding a hierarchy of competing victim groups.
A "pause for thought" without the thought? Possible ways to talk about the future of the EU today
After the rejection of the EU constitution in the French and Dutch referenda, Europe's elites launched a one-year "pause for thought" in the ratification process. A summit in June 2006 brought an extension of the adjournment. The time could be put to good use, writes political scientist Jan-Werner Müller. Theoretically speaking, there are three Euro-visions currently competing; a discussion of their pros and cons would be well worth Europeans' while.
Nils aus dem Moore asks:
Comments
The modern concept of national identity, while strongly held, is a recent development in human society. My values and even parts of my identity as someone living in 21st century Britain are more close to my contemporaries in Germany and France and Italy etc than my fellow compatriates even just 50 years ago, and even some of them in the present day!
The EU is heading into unchartered waters. Pragmatic needs vs. national myths and history. Should be intresting!
Posted by: Evil European | April 4, 2007 02:19 PM