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donate ...and never the two shall meet?
Editorial Nationalism in Belgium might be different from nationalism in Ukraine, but if we want to understand the current European crisis and how to overcome it we need to take both into account. The debate series "Europe talks to Europe" is an attempt to turn European intellectual debate into a two-way street. [ more ]
Europe talks to Europe
A polylogue on culture and politics
Debate series
From Autumn 2009 to Spring 2011, Eurozine organized a series of high-profile debates in different central and eastern European cities, including Budapest, Bratislava, Brno, Bucharest, Lviv, Sofia, Warsaw and Vienna. Making use of a well-established media platform and a wide-ranging network of editors, authors and intellectuals, the debates make a substantial contribution to cross-border discussion on cultural identities and the European integration project.
The debate series "Europe talks to Europe" is a cooperation of Eurozine with ERSTE Foundation.
With the financial support of the European Commission and ERSTE Foundation.
vienna
The EU: The real sick man of Europe?
vienna Democratic deficit, enlargement fatigue and ever more rescue funds: is there still a future for a common Europe? In a discussion in Eurozine's series "Europe talks to Europe", prominent intellectuals diagnosed causes for the current malaise of the EU. [Spanish version added] [ more ]
Read also: Martin M. Simecka, "Still not free": why post-'89 history must go beyond self-diagnosis; and Ivan Krastev "Democratic, can travel": how Russia's policy of open borders diffuses protest potential from a dissatisfied middle class.
budapest
Dilemma '89: My father was a communist
Budapest Two sons of well-known persecuted communists discuss the still unanswered questions surrounding the involvement of their fathers' generation in post-war communism, and the failings of today's debate about the past in the former communist countries. [Hungarian version added] [ more ]
Read also: Martin M. Simecka, "Still not free": why post-'89 history must go beyond self-diagnosis.
warsaw
Breaking the bonds of national mythology
Memory and European citizenship
warsaw In many European countries, a nationally framed approach to history clashes with those of neighbouring states. What is the role of intellectuals in disputes over contested history and can cross-border journalism build an element of real universality into the European project? [ more ]
Read also: Danuta Glondys, "The revenge of memory?": on rethinking the symbolic meaning of history; and Arne Ruth, "Myths of neutrality": in Sweden and Switzerland, foreign publicity forced recognition of complicity in the Holocaust.
bucharest
Economy and ethics in crisis
A new-old East-West divide?
bucharest The aggressive monetary policies of western financial institutions were a major factor for the crisis of eastern European economies after the bubble burst in 2008. What are the ethical and political implications of western investment in eastern Europe and the globalized economy as a whole? [ more ]
Read also: Daniel Daianu, "For a return to common sense": a plea for pragmatic implementation of market reforms in eastern Europe; and Robert Misik, "World improvement reloaded": why the Left needs to reclaim the mantle of progressivism.
Brno
The critical divide
Marxism: Radical alternative or totalitarian relic?
Brno While an historical-materialist approach to both culture and society has strong critical potential in western Europe, many eastern European intellectuals regard it sceptically. Does Marxism – or even leftist politics – mean one thing in the West and another in the East? [ more ]
Read also: JirĂ Pehe, "Washing their hands of the welfare state": why the time-honoured communist critique of the welfare state is too catagorical; and Anders Ramsay, "Marx? Which Marx?": a critique of naturalistic readings of Marx's theory of value.
bratislava
Multiculturalism at its limits?
Managing diversity in the new Europe
Bratislava Multiculturalism, the default strategy in western Europe for managing cultural diversity, is increasingly under attack from both Right and Left. If multiculturalism has reached its limits, what are the alternatives that can help manage diversity, both in the East and in the West? [Hungarian version added] [ more ]
Read also: Kenan Malik, "How to become a real Muslim": why the fear of causing offence has helped undermine progressive trends in Islam and strengthened the hand of religious bigots.
Sofia
Democracy live
Media, politics and the tyranny of the opinion poll
Sofia The surge in "anti-politics" throughout Europe coincides with media marketization and the rise of digital technologies. How is media change connected to the loss of trust in political institutions and what happens to democracy when political decision-making relies increasingly on the opinion poll? [ more ]
Read also: Ivaylo Ditchev, "Democracy 'live'": for political decision-making, the question of whether opinion is right or wrong becomes secondary to its legitimacy as a form of feedback.
Lviv
Splitting up?
The re-nationalization of Europe
Lviv Perceived loss of sovereignty and rising hostility towards migrants are behind the nationalist revival in many EU member states. Yet in the countries of the former USSR, nationalism is associated with democratization. Can one talk in the same terms about contemporary nationalism in East and West? [ more ]
Read also: An interview with David Van Reybrouck, "Is Belgium the test-bench for democracy 2.0?": why the underlying causes of Belgium's political crisis will repeat themselves throughout Europe.
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