Crossroads in the development of Europe. Habermasian reflections on the development of the European Union

Marosán, Bence Péter (2024) Crossroads in the development of Europe. Habermasian reflections on the development of the European Union. In: Európai Egység: A Maastrichti szerződéstől a modern Unióig. European Unity: From Maastricht to Modern Union. Aposztróf, Budapest, pp. 77-88. ISBN 9789636250546

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Abstract

In his book, published in 2011, An Essay on the Constitution of Europe, Jürgen Habermas attempted to offer a middle ground for the development of Europe, between the idea of the ‘United States of Europe’ – an idea which might seem rather unrealistic to many – and the rather egoistic conception of a mere conglomerate of sovereign nation states, whose union is based solely on economic interest. In contrast, Habermas wants to offer the conception that he called ‘the realistic Utopia of human rights.’ By that he means that the European Union must have a necessary minimum of human rights which is also reflected in the legislation and constitutional structure and institutions of the member states of the European Union. Habermas tries to harmonize the sovereignty and democratic rights of citizens of the national member states of the Union with the duties and tasks of a transnational community of states, which also should impose certain necessary obligations to its members, if we want to regard the EU a democratic transnational entity. This means that the European Union should also do something with member states who severely, repeatedly, and seriously violate democratic principles. In my study, I would like to phrase certain thoughts concerning the actuality of Habermas’s thoughts that he wrote in 2011 and before, and I would also like to reflect on the possibilities it offers for the future development of the European Union.

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