What is Europe?

Introduction

‘Europe’ is a key issue of contemporary political debate and provides one of the most contentious questions facing party leaders and the voters of more than one country. But what is the nature of the issue, and what does it actually involve? What are the precise questions that contemporary Europe poses? Europe is in flux, and many of the key reference points of a traditional Europe have weakened or disappeared altogether. One of the key aspects of the present situation, therefore, is that of rapid change and a thoroughgoing transformation of Europe from the years of the Cold War and the World War that preceded it. This unit focuses on the different understandings of Europe that underlie the debates and disputes over the development of Europe.