The EU’s notion of territoriality: the “Westphalian Memory” vs. the “New Empire”. Consequences for the macro-regional dimension of the Adriatic Sea Region
Journal Title: Security Dimensions - Year 2013, Vol 10, Issue 10
Abstract
The creation of the European Union in 1992 reflected an attempt to rethink some of basic modern political concepts as national sovereignty and citizenship. But in recent years the European spatial development policy discourse has taken an evident territorial character with the enforcement of the idea of territorial cohesion and territorial continuity. The spatial predominant EU’s conception contributes to an evident emergence of a modern territorial building of the European space. Moreover, nowadays the instrument of hard and closed border and the sharp inside/outside dichotomy are accepted as the normality in Europe. Due to this notion of territoriality, the idea of the EU as a “non-Westphalian new empire” (according to the “neo-medieval paradigm”) is at least unrealistic. Its borders are getting more territorial, physical and visible, in deep contrast with an imperial historical structure. Hard border policies and practices on the borders mirror the existence of a de facto barrier and of a deep “Westphalian memory” in the way to use the territory as support of political unity. The EU’s drive to re-territorialise Europe is not a mere academic question; it has real consequences for people and places. Supra-nationalism reveals itself as a metaphor of “re-territorialization”, a paradox with strong political and economic consequences. In the macro-regional dimension of the Adriatic Sea region the EU’s “re-territorialisation” can impede seriously the cooperation across the EU’s external borders.<br/><br/>
Authors and Affiliations
Alessandro Vitale
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP376300
- DOI -
- Views 44
- Downloads 0
Elements of the II pilar of security culture. Legal consciousness and efectiveness of law.
In this paper there are analyzed elements of the first and the second pillar of security culture with emphasis on the legal issues, which governs the social life of contemporary societies. Authors aims to prove how impor...
Disciplinary liability: the content, principles and types
The author suggests to consider disciplinary liability as generic notion, and general and special disciplinary liability can be considered as specific notions. It is stressed that all these types of liability should be b...
The Role and Tasks of the Territorial Defence Force in the National Security System
The detachments of Territorial Defence Force (TDF, Polish: Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej) are an important element in the new structure of the Polish Army. The article presents the challenges the Territorial Defence Force,...
Basic Concepts of Security Sciences Theory in Security Studies from the Czech Perspective
Security science in Czech Republic only postulate its scientific terminology. Difficulties in communication within and outside the newly created and evolving multidisciplinary scientific field is also reflected in the d...
Political Leader as Participant in the Public Sector in the Context of Social Security
The present contribution deals with the issue of political leader as public participant in the context of social security. It is divided into three parts. In the first part author deals with the participants of public po...