The Crisis of the European Union

»In the face of a politically unregulated rise in global social complexity which systemically and increasingly restricts the autonomy of the nation state, the normative function of democracy itself requires that political agency be expanded beyond national boundaries.« Jürgen Habermas

In light of the ongoing Euro crisis, coupled with the half-hearted, often populist reaction from Europe’s politicians, the failure of the European project has begun to seem like a very real possibility. In this essay, Jürgen Habermas sets out to defend Europe from this growing scepticism, offering instead a new compelling narrative for the history and especially for the future of the European Union. He clears the way for thinking the transnationalisation of democracy by placing the unification process within the context of the longer-term codification and civilisation of state power. Finally, Habermas appeals to politicians to stop running the European project behind closed doors as they have up until now and instead recalibrate it as a down-to-earth, noisy and argumentative exchange of opinions in the public sphere.

In addition to the Essay on Europe's Constitution this volume also contains the essay »The Concept of Human Dignity and the Realistic Utopia of Human Rights« (2010) as well as three interventions published by Habermas since the beginning of the current financial crisis.

»The quality of analysis is dazzling. This is the sort of spark that can ignite the civic spirit.« FAZ on Europe: The Faltering Project