A certain sense of Europe?
Helene Sjursen has published the article 'A certain sense of Europe? Defining the EU through enlargement' in European Societies volume 14 number 4.
This article seeks to shed light on the identity problem of the European Union by investigating EU justifications for past enlargements. What kind of understanding of the EU do enlargement decisions indicate?
Given that the EU is based on more than mere pragmatic problem-solving, the question is whether decisions to enlarge reflect a value-based or a rights-based polity. Although a certain sense of distinctiveness, certain elements of European particularities, are in evidence, the pull of universal principles has proven stronger thus far. Paradoxically, this presents the European political project with an important dilemma.
'A certain sense of Europe? Defining the EU through enlargement'
European Societies 14(4): 502–521