The future of the EU - A conservative view

CEMES Lecture by Professor David Engels, Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Abstract

Europe is in a deep crisis. Mass migration, the crisis of values, political radicalisation, demographic decline, deindustrialisation, environmental pollution, parallel societies, social polarisation, debt crises, populism, war – wherever one looks, Europe seems to disintegrate before our eyes. More than ever, Europeans need to be solidary if they want to overcome this crisis together. However, in order to feel solidarity, people need to have a common identity. The universal human rights are not enough to inspire such a community of solidarity, as they are also shared by many people outside Europe. Hence, we need to complement them with a positive affirmation of what makes us Europeans truly "European" besides the universal rights. This is the starting point of a new political doctrine I have called "Hesperialism": We need a Europe that is strong enough to protect the individual Nation State against the rise of China, the demographic explosion of Africa, the difficult relationship with Russia and the radicalisation of the Near East. But on the other hand, such a Europe will only find acceptance if it remains loyal to its historical traditions instead of fighting them in the name of a chimeric multicultural universalism.

Morten Rasmussen, Chair of CEMES, will introduce the speaker, and Miklos Sükösd, Vice Chair of CEMES, will act as moderator and discussant.