Tamas Dezso Ziegler EU Disintegration as Cultural Insurrection
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Tamas Dezso Ziegler EU Disintegration as Cultural Insurrection of the Anti-Enlightenment Tradition
National culture is the elephant (in the room)
Statement EU disintegration is a result of a centuries-old anti-Enlightenment tradition in the Western world • Zeev Sternhell: Anti-Enlightenment Tradition (Yale Univ. P. ) • Isaiah Berlin: Counter-Enlightenment • Steven Pinker from Harvard: Enlightenment Now (bestseller) • Pippa Norris/Ronald Inglehart: Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism Oxford University Press (2019) • European studies + political science: no coherent theory A revival of constructivism is needed! 3
A „different tradition” Enlightenment Anti-Enlightenment Supports human rights Limits/abolishes human rights Stresses individualism, egalitarianism Stresses tribalism and „the nation” Universalism Racism/ethnocentrism Authoritarian elitism, attacking enemies Democratic decision making, pluralism Rational Emotional Gender equality Sexism, machoism Mutual respect of nations, cooperation Social darwinism, struggle for survival • 4
Epicenters of EU disintegration • Human rights (Daniel Kelemen: new democratic deficit) (nation, strong leaders and emotionalism instead of human rights and tolerance) • Refugee law (attacking individualism, human dignity, universalism) • Single market (protectionism + state aid) (overtly nationalism + no self restraint) • Brexit (emotionalism, post-collonial delusion – Paul Beaumont) NATIONAL POLITICAL CULTURE AFFECTS EUROPEAN POLICY MAKING! 5
Equilibirum of integration/disintegration EU law always contained elements of both tradition! • Not only a tradition of Enlightenment • Democratic deficit (Føllesdal-Hix) • Elitism: no annulement of acts for everyday people: no constitutional control + no conversation with everyday Europeans • Oligarchisation: new noblemen • Discriminitation based on habitual residence in consumer law • Visa policy: no individual treatment (when the approach is used in refugee law, many are embarassed) • Fundamental rights cannot be applied (see Art. 51 of the Charter of fundamental rights) 6
Conclusions • Anti-Enlightenment tradition reshapes the acquis: „materials” change in the dynamic equilibirum • EU level: No collapse: change + reverse spillovers: anti-Enlightenment tradition tries to dominate (see EPP) • National level: should strenghten Enlightenment values to counter these tendencies + avoid strenghtening of a mythical past 7
Kurultáj Tribal Gathering, 2018 THANK YOU FOR YOU ATTENTION! 8
