What Europe before “more Europe”

the European values perspective

Abstract

The paper’s starting point is that the answer to the question “what Europe” should precede the quest for “more Europe”. It is argued that the increasing divergence on the understanding and attainment of core European values such as solidarity, justice and equality within and across EU member states makes the answer to the question “what Europe” all the more difficult and problematic. Building on historical retrospection and contextualization of “European values” in European documents, the paper sets out to study the state of convergence and divergence of values within EU focusing in two specific areas -- immigration and gender/LGBT issues. To illustrate value frictions the study explores answers to relevant value-laden questions from the European Value Study 2017-2021. The analysis reveals that value divergences can diachronically be seen as a step or phase in the process of the “EU East” catching up with the “EU West”. Yet, top down imposition of policies and decisions neglecting the expressed values within topdown topdown societies would not lead to closure of values breaches but (would) rather contribute to rise of populist mobilization and additionally antagonize societies.