Самоопределянето на Европа
The certainty of Europe

Summary/Abstract: Should we consider Europe a cultural entity or should we limit ourselves to a „minimalistic" conception of Europe? Is it necessary to refer to the cultural and historical past in defining the borders of Europe, or should we only look at the political system, the economic developments, and legal regulations of the candidate countries. One may, however, doubt that a Europe based on a minimalistic conception could really be an active political entity. In a situation of political crises, Europe must be able to act with far greater solidarity and feel more of a common identity. What is that identity? Where do the borders of Europe lie in the East? The article discusses some of the attempts at interpreting European identity; it shows that this identity was and still is experienced from the peculiar perspectives of national history. The new Europe, Europe after the disappearance of the „limes" that divided the continent until 1989, requires the inclusion of the historical perspective of Eastern and East Central European nations in the narrative identity of Europe. At the same time, it requires that Europe be more self-confident in a religious, moral and cultural sense. Only then would Europe become something more than a protectorate of America.

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