Europe and the Global Crisis: Economy, Geostrategy, Civil Society and Values

Europe is experiencing an unprecedented crisis and its fate hinges on its ability to find solutions. This crisis is not only economic but geostrategic, political and cultural. Economic, because Europe may stagnate and/or split up. Geostrategic, because it must identify its mission in the world and administer its borders with it. Political, because it has to improve both its ability to take action and the relationship between its civil society and its political sphere. Cultural, because it is difficult for a society uncertain of its own history to find its bearings; although it may get carried away by the pretence of being in control of its destiny, clutching at the rhetoric of globalization and advanced modernity. This book brings together contributions from academics of several different countries. Juergen Donges (Cologne), Peter Hall (Harvard) and Karel Lannoo (Brussels) discuss the economic crisis. Robert Kaplan (Washington), Azar Gat (Tel Aviv), Josef Joffe (Hamburg) and Pierre Hassner (Paris) consider the geostrategical one. Lucas Meijs, (Rotterdam), Lars Trägårdh (Stockholm), Phillip Blond (London) and Michele Salvati (Milan) examine politics and civil society. Margaret Archer (Lausanne), Richard Madsen (California) and Víctor Pérez-Díaz (Madrid) look at culture; and the latter, who coordinated the seminars, has also written the introduction.