Integration

The serious challenges confronting the European Union have placed the future course of its integration in doubt. Against this backdrop, young people have a central role to play.

In a rational world, security threats might boost European integration, given their cross-border nature. Today’s Europe, however, is different.

Can democracy be the project that leads to further European integration?

A circulation of misinformation can have far-reaching implications, and can influence not only the European Union’s relations with Russia and its neighbours, but also its own internal process of integration.

The architecture of the European Union institutions is flawed.

The European Union is far from perfect – from a Green perspective – yet at times when it is threatened, we must rally to its defence as an idea and as a project.

Behind the sensational headlines and the obfuscating rhetoric, how can we explain the stark polarisation that seems to be taking hold, across Europe, between those who defend the idea of Europe and its institutions, and those who feel these do not enhance but rather hinder and threaten their aspirations?

Music has an immense capacity to bring people together and foster cultural understanding. Case studies from the UK show us how entire new musical genres have emerged from the encounter of different musical traditions, and how the cultural landscape of a nation can be enriched thanks to the influence of migrant communities and diasporas.

With the new government in place, everything is seemingly returning back to normal. Or is it? Two weeks after the Slovakian general elections, which stirred great European interest, Robert Fico forms his third government and is preparing to rule for another four more years…

Before we can tell whether multiculturalism is strengthening or weakening solidarity between the people of a particular society, we need to acknowledge that there were deficits of trust and solidarity long before multicultural policies were adopted. Such policies are potential tools for overcoming the historic deficits in trust and solidarity.