Europe vis-a-vis an unbalanced multipolar world
Presentation at an International seminar hosted under the aegis of the Committee for a European Federal State, 7 March 2009, Strasbourg
Language of the original publication: French
Jean Monnet used to say he trusted "the power of simple ideas." However, transatlantic relations have proven to be, in this regard, the exception that proves the rule. If the mixture of commonplaces, grandiose rhetorical fervour, small and petty calculations, as well as the émotico-ideological blindness that constitute, on the European side, the foundation of our relationship with America, continues to resist the time despite the most elementary logic, it is because our elites have repeatedly propagated deeply naive (or guiltily misleading) conceptions on issues of power and autonomy.
1. State of play - then just as now
1.1. About the premonitory Tindemans Report
1.2. The U.S. factor at the heart of the problem
2. Myths, illusions and naivety
2.1. Questions of power
The myth of the "postmodernism"
The myth of "Europe, civilian power"
2.2. Questions of independence
The myth of American support to the strengthening of Europe
The myth of complementarity between Europe and America
The myth of a possible influence on Washington
2.3. Questions of Europe: the myth of "Europeanisation" as a miracle solution
Text in French with rough translation possibility into English at the bottom of the page.
(Hajnalka Vincze, Europe vis-a-vis an unbalanced multipolar world, Presentation at an International seminar hosted under the aegis of the Committee for a European Federal State, 7 March 2009, Strasbourg, 32,000 characters)
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