*** MARIO TELÓ: Europe: A Civilian Power? European Union, Global Governance, World Order. Palgrave MacMillan (Houndsmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS, UK. Tel: (44-1256) 329242 - Fax: 1256842084 - e-mail: mdl@macmillan.co.uk - Internet: http://www.palgrave.com ). 2006, 291 pp. ISBN 1-4039-4921-2
The world has changed a lot since 1945, as has Europe's role in it. Epoch-marking events like the end of the Cold War and 11 September 2001, along with changes within the European Union, means that the EU is emerging as a civilian power, showing that 'civilian regional multilateralism is not only more efficient than unilateralism as a stabiliser of democracy, but it also works better than military alliances (such as NATO), or global institutions (such as the WTO)'. Political analyst Mario Telò knows what he's talking about. He is President of the European Studies Institute at the 'Université libre de Bruxelles', and a former advisor to the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council. In other words, he is well acquainted with the mechanics of the hugely complicated EU system. His new book focuses on the consequences of changes in the EU beyond the borders of the EU itself. Well documented and deftly juggling the various political theories currently doing the rounds, he casts a critical eye over events, highlighting areas of interest and shortcomings to expose long-term trends in the way the world system is evolving and the innovative role of the EU in this connection.
Understanding the burgeoning new world order also requires an understanding of the 'archetypal federal republic', the superpower characterising 'the spirit of the age,' namely the United States of America and its view of the new world order. 'Superpower' rather than 'empire' or 'hegemonic power' because, as Prof. Telò demonstrates, 'what renders the metaphor of empire dated and caricatured, whether it is used to demonise or in apologia, is that such accounts ignore the various signs of internal fragility and political contradiction that are growing with unprecedented clarity.' Likewise, 'hegemony implies dominance plus consensus, intellectual and moral guidance plus coercion' and this is probably no longer the case for the United States at the turn of the new millennium, even though in the past, through a mixture of unilateralism, bilateralism and multilateralism, 'a Europe still smouldering from its 'thirty-year civil war' (1914-1945) was forced down the path of intergovernmentalism through the 'Marshall Plan' an the OEEC' by the US. The author illustrates how the growing ideological and operational gap between the US superpower and the burgeoning civilian power of the EU has implications for the world order. This "realpolitik", along with past and present power struggles between the European Union, the United States and the UN, often makes fascinating reading. But Prof. Telò also takes the pulse of the EU, looking at EU institutions, the Lisbon Strategy, enlargement to Turkey and other issues.
The authors takes an overview of the question of the EU as a civilian power at various levels and from various angles, with carefully marshalled thoughts, providing the reader with a synthesis of modern political thought on the future of Europe and its role in the world.
Frederik Ronse
*** PHILIPPE MOREAU DEFARGES: Droits d'ingérence. Presses de Sciences Po (117 bd Saint-Germain, F-75005 Paris. Tél. (33-1) 45498332 - E-mail: presses@sciences-po - Internet: http://www.sciences-po.fr/edition/ ). "Nouveaux débats" series, No. 4. 2006, 112 pp., €10. ISBN 2-7246-0980-8.
The “right to interfere” is a concept that has become very much more widely known since the 1980s. For the uninitiated, it has indeed become a pet theme. This is why Philippe Moreau Defarges' book focuses on this issue and which seeks to clarify the subject, without adopting a reductionist approach. In the first chapter, Defarges, co-editor of the Rapport Ramses at the French Institute on International Relations, describes the complex developments that have occurred with regard to the “right to interfere” in the affairs of others, since its proclamation. Each step sheds light on the dynamics, ambiguities and contradictions involved in this concept. The author then draws up a balance sheet of fifteen years where this “right” has been exercised and looks at the successes, failures, as well as the way interference of this genre has contributed to remodelling the sovereignty of the state. As the author explains in the third chapter, interference can, in many cases, be, "an illegal relationship, between the party initiating it and the party that submits to it. Can democratic interference, resulting from the demand for equality and democracy, develop? This is the main question, notwithstanding the certain necessary reservations and qualifications involved, of this small but informative book.
(MT)
*** PETER BACHMAIER, BEATA BLEHOVA (Editors): Der kulturelle Umbruch in Ostmitteleuropa. Der Transformationsprozess und die Bildungs- und Kulturpolitik Tschechiens, der Slowakei, Polens und Ungarns im Kontext der internationalen Beziehungen. Peter Lang (Frankfurt Main. Internet: http://www.peterlang.de ). 2005, 342pp.. ISBN 3-631-53011-0.
How can cultural identity and political and economic integrity be reconstructed in the wake of the deformation that beset indigenous institutions during the Soviet empire and the sudden disappearance of this dominant influence, in the context of participation in an enlarged Europe? This is the question posed by the authors in this volume of contributions from the second conference on, “education policy and culture in Eastern Europe in the context of international relations”, entitled, “Cultural disintegration in Eastern Europe: the transformation process and education policy and culture in the new Member States in the context of international relations, “1989-2004”. In the four chapters on the evolution of education policy in Eastern Europe, political scientists locate the crux of the matter in the troubled history of the region. The three following chapters focus on the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. Hungary features in a fourth chapter. The reader is left with no doubt that the Soviet system did not eradicate “the Christian and humanist values of Central Europe”, which have always underpinned education in the countries in question. The authors consider this as a solid foundation for implementing policy reform in education and culture in Eastern Europe, in the context of key Union values and the development of institutions that are becoming increasingly global.
(CDi)
*** L'Europe et les Balkans occidentaux. Fondation Robert Schuman (29 bd Raspail, F-75007 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 53638300 - fax: 53638301 - Internet: http://www.robert-schuman.org ). 2005, 121 pp.
This book analyses the acts set out in a conference organised by the Robert Schuman Foundation and the Concorde et la Fraternité Association in the Balkans last March, chaired by Ambassador Henri Froment-Meurice. At this event, the former French Foreign Affairs Minister Hervé de Charrette looked at the causes of the conflicts in this region of Europe. The way in which the Union is perceived in the western Balkans and vice and versa were also some of the angles from which Michel Barnier (at that time still the "boss" of French diplomacy) concluded the work. The different origins of the participants on the panels (France, of course, but also Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo) helped to provide a most useful clarification of the circumstances of the conflicts, the situation regarding stabilisation and conflict prevention, Europe's hopes for the Balkans and Union action in the region. The book provides a multidisciplinary approach that allows the reader to find an answer to many questions raised by the history of this tormented region.
(JPe)
*** Südosteuropa Mitteilungen . Geschäftsstelle der Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft (49 Widenmayerstrasse, D-80538 Munich. Tel: (49-89) 21254-0 - fax: 2289469 - E-mail: suedosteuropa-gesellschaft@t-online.de - Internet: http://www.suedosteuropa-gesellschaft.com ). 2006, No. 1, 120 pp., € 10. € 50: subscription
This publication focuses on the South east of Europe, a region rich in strategic challenges. This issue centres on the reasons for a possible one year postponement in Romania's accession and the status of Kosovo, a subject on which the Union's strategy could become unstuck.
(FRo)
*** MARTIN TRYBUS: European Union Law and Defence Integration. Hart Publishing (Salters Boatyard, Folly Bridge, Abingdon Road, Oxford, OX1 4LB, UK. Tel: (44-1865) 245533 - fax: 794882 - E-mail: mail@hartpub.co.uk - Internet: http//: http://www.hartpub.co.uk ). "Modern Studies in European Law" series. 2005, 419 pp.. ISBN 1-84113-440-6
A teacher of legal studies at the Université of Nottingham, Martin Trybus demonstrates in this book that even though the Union has a lot to gain from further integration in the defence field (not only in military capacity but also financially and industrially, the significant exemption of the industrial defence sector from internal market rules impacting negatively on it etc), Member States are still loathe to provide it with more money because it is still seen as a major pillar of national sovereignty. The author bases the first part of the book on studying how integration of European defence has evolved, the highs and lows since the Second World War. He then tackles Community texts as instruments for defence integration. Texts, which are insufficient but sometimes very detailed in the first pillar, governing, in particular, the many exemptions the defence sector enjoys from common market rules. Finally, the third part of the book looks at how the Constitutional Treaty can support European defence integration. Trybus points out that even if the Constitutional Treaty were never applied, the debates and ideas launched during its elaboration would engender certain progress in this area.
(FRo)
*** JULIAN LINDLEY-FRENCH, FRANCO ALGIERI (Editors): Why the world needs a Strong Europe…and Europe needs to be Strong. Ten Messages to the European Council. Bertelsmann Stiftung (256 Carl-Bertelsmann-Str., Postfach 103, D-33311 Gütersloh, Germany. Tel: (49-52) 4181-0 - fax: 4181-81999 - E-mail: info@bertelsmann-stiftung.de - Internet: http://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de ). "European Foreign and Security Policy" series, No. 3. 2005, 22 pp.
Since 1999, the Bertelsmann Foundation has brought experts together in the area of security and defence from the whole of Europe, as part of the “Venusberg Group”. These researchers strive to anticipate the future of the Union's foreign, security and defence policy. This study sent ten messages to last December's European Council for enhancing Europe's security role on the international scene. These experts contend that after fifteen years of falling back on itself, Europe now has to assume its responsibilities at a strategic level and that the Union is the only instrument that can do this. They call for provisions on security in the Constitutional Treaty to be implemented even if the treaty is not ratified, as well as the appointment of a European Foreign Affairs Minister, not to be postponed. Europe should also update its security strategy, raise the interest of citizens through dialogue and develop a structured strategic cooperation between the civilian and military domains. The authors point out that there will not be new funds for European defence and that consequently this will not become a reality without better organisation and efficiency or more combined efforts by all member countries. The last message from these experts is to request the Union to assume the strategic partnerships with the new Asian powers and foster trans-Atlantic relations.
(NDu)
*** THEODOR H. WINKLER, ANJA H. EBNÖTHER, ERNST M. FELBERBAUER (Editors): 6th International Security Forum. Proceedings of the Conference. Editions Peter Lang (32 Hochfeldstrasse, Postfach 746, CH-3000 Berne 9. E-mail: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com , http://www.peterlang.net ). "Studien zu Zeitgeschichte und Sicherheitspolitik - Studies in Contemporary History and Security Policy" series, No. 14. 2005, 248 pp. ISBN 3-03910-485-3.
The Centre for the democratic control of the armed forces in Geneva held its sixth international security forum in October 2004. Supported by the Swiss Federal government, this event aimed to promote discussion between professionals in the fields of security, diplomacy the armed forces, as well as Non- Governmental Organisations from around the world. The debates (which this book records) focused on the most recent political developments affecting security, notably enlargement of the Union and NATO, the future for international and trans-Atlantic cooperation and the fight against terrorism, as well as the role of new information technologies in international security cooperation. The first part of the book presents the speeches made during the two plenary sessions and which tackled subjects like the war in Iraq, a new security agenda for Europe, the Balkans and weapons of mass destruction. The second part of the book looks at what happens at the six work sessions held each year by a panel, and the subjects mentioned above. Other themes such as the business of war, the future of the Union's defence policy and combat in violence against women and children are also tackled.
(NDu)