David Marquand is a distinguished British academic and former member of Parliament whose new book takes a critical look at a Europe he has long supported and nurtured. He finds that Europe’s understanding of itself and its political institutions are not up to dealing with the great challenges it faces. Marquand believes that Europe’s attempts to fit the reality of ethnic diversity into a theoretical notion of the nation-state are doomed to fail. And he also thinks that the whole process of European integration and the expansion of the EU has been left to technocrats for too long.
The result, he argues, is a disconnect between European citizens and the European Union that makes it increasingly difficult for political leaders to operate on a level above the constraints of national politics. Finally, Marquand points out that Europeans have long avoided the tricky question of what defines Europe, pointing out that unless this question is addressed there can be no meaningful debate on where the EU’s enlargements should end, and what kind of Union it should ultimately be.
His most fundamental point is that “Europe must abandon ancient notions of an enlightened West and a backward East.” Europe has long regarded itself as the historical, cultural and moral source of a Western civilisation that it believes is in every way superior to others. According to Marquand, this view has always been unfounded and is now more contrary to reality than ever. New world powers are emerging that cannot be regarded as in any way representative of Western civilisation. Only if Europe’s leaders and citizens adopt a more realistic view of their place in the world will they be able to take the difficult steps towards solving the problems identified by Marquand.
Above all, he argues, these steps should include developing a European ‘demos’ and building a federal structure for the EU. He also makes clear why we must see ‘Europe’ as more than a geographic notion. European identity is defined by common experience and expressed through the tradition of group-based political pluralism, and Marquand discusses European history and integration in a concise and highly readable manner. He compellingly identifies Europe’s main internal challenges, and then offers some important ideas toward overcoming them.