*** BERNARD BRUNETEAU, YOUSSEF CASSIS (Eds.): L'Europe communautaire au défi de la hiérarchie. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes - Peter Lang (1 av. Maurice, B-1050 Brussels. E-mail: pie@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "Euroclio" series, No. 32. 2007, 243 pp, €24-90. ISBN 978-90-5201-055-7.
When looking at Europe as it has been trying to shape itself recently and in the past, of course, but also, and much more surprisingly, in the present, one has no option but to take due account of the notion of hierarchy. This is the main, troubling lesson of this book, which follows on from an international conference organised at Pierre Mendès France University in Grenoble, France, under the aegis of the 'Laboratoire de recherche historique Rhône-Alpes', to provide an overview of various hierarchical logics both in terms of historical heritage and in terms of the political and economic processes that still bear the bulk of the weight in modern times because, in the words of the book, 'rampant forms of hierarchy' continue to structure the relations between countries and even between European Union institutions.
At the start, historian Prof. Bernard Bruneteau explains in the introduction, the initial European Community wanted to make a break with the past, a past when what was commonly termed the 'European system' or 'European order' was usually synonymous with hierarchy and inequality among countries. Another historian, Georges-Henri Soutou of Paris-Sorbonne University, explains in this connection how the European order which tried to prevent any imperialist or hegemonic thrusts from the seventeenth century to the 1920s was based on the supremacy of a few superpowers which worked together to set the tone for other European countries, whether neutral or client states. Jean-Luc Chabot, professor of politics at Pierre Mendès France University, has written an enlightening essay explaining how the first Europeanism tried to take root and flourish on the grounds (dreamed up and reaffirmed by an army of intellectuals at any rate) that Western civilisation was superior to the rest of the world, which provided political legitimacy and (pseudo) moral justification for the plan to colonise the world. Sylvie Lefèvre Dalbin of Louis Pasteur - Strasbourg I University provides a useful restitution of one of the last great projects in this domain, namely the Franco-German projects to promote the dominated territory in Africa, 'Eurafrique', in the early 1950s. Jürgen Elvert of Cologne University in Germany studies the hierarchically organised 'great space' theory dear to lawyer Carl Schmitt's heart, later so tragically implemented (instigated to the point of tragedy) by the Nazis. Geneviève Duchenne of the 'Université catholique de Louvain' in Belgium studies the plans that flourished in Belgium in the 1920s to ensure the existence and power of a 'little country' in the European continent so dominated by Franco-German rivalry. Europe had to sink to the depths of the abyss in the end in order for Emmanuel Mounier's prediction to come into being, namely that the true Europe would be formed 'against hegemonies'. As an alternative to the repulsive models of the previous decades, Robert Schuman and the other 'founding fathers' of the EU suggested that democratic majority rule, freely accepted under criteria and modalities set in advance and restricted to vital matters of common interest, would be less humiliating to accept at the end of the day than decisions imposed by those with the greatest powers.
Nobody could doubt, sixty years on, that a new chapter in the history of Europe was opened by the founding fathers, but has the new European project also been influenced by the logic of hierarchies? In the introduction, Bernard Bruneteau puts forward several arguments that suggest it has. Did the establishment of a gradually enlarged Community area manage to get the more established game of European powers pitted against one another to vanish into thin air? Is it true that the 'technical' issues surrounding the four freedoms of circulation have been abandoned to 'supranationality' while 'intergovernmentalism' has avidly hung on the political domains of sovereignty? And has the division between 'small' and 'big' states really ceased to structure the European project? Prof. Bruneteau argues that the evidence is striking if one takes the time to dig under the surface. The shared dividing line between big and small countries, between noble and secondary industries, between the driving institutions and the others, is part of the untalked-about side of the European project, leading the European Union to be slightly schizophrenic with official democratic and Community words and mechanisms on the one hand and the hidden power games on the other, where the precedence and imbalance logics are at work. The rest of the book is equally captivating - it fleshes out this diagnosis by identifying some of the characteristics of the 'unsaid hierarchy' that results from the challenges of governance or the juxtaposition of economic forces. This leaves the feeling that although hidden and not mentioned, hierarchy remains at the art of the atypical political and economic construction that is Europe, which partly explains its meanderings and bad habits… Prof. Bernard Bruneteau explains that this should also stimulate and feed into what will certainly be uncomfortable questioning about the desire to combine the dream of an infinitely expanded Europe with the idea of a Europe as a superpower and whether that inevitably means a reconnection with the mechanisms of order, no longer the old ideas of a grand organised space mooted by Carl Schmitt, but all the same, the idea of a Council of Powers put forward at the time of the League of Nations. Food for thought!
Michel Theys
*** Europe Infos. Comece and Ocipe (42 rue Stévin, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2350510 - Fax: 2303334 - E-mail: europeinfos@comece.org). September 2007, No. 96, 12 pp.
The editorial of this issue of the monthly Catholic newsletter comments that public evaluation of the European project is often hindered by the filters of perception, but that it is unreasonable for the negative aspects of the experience of history to hold back the 'ethical power' of the modern Europe project.
(MT)
*** ALAN KRAMER: Dynamic of Destruction. Culture and Mass Killings in the First World War. Oxford University Press (Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP. Internet: http://www.oup.com ). "The Making of the Modern World" series. 2007, 434 pp, £18-99. ISBN 978-0-19-280342-9.
The First World War left memories in Western Europe of pictures of trench warfare with vain 'going over the top' sorties ending in sheer butchery, but it has been partially replaced by images of the Second World War in terms of mass murder and desire to annihilate an enemy by turning them and their culture to ashes. The First World War and the years leading up to it (often erroneously called the 'last years of peace') prefigure the horrors of the Second World War and are crucial for understanding the rise of fascism and communism that so branded Europe in the second half of the twentieth century. Alan Kramer, fellow and associate professor in history at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, who has written many books on German and Italian twentieth century history and won the Fraenkel Modern History Prize and the Western Front Association's prize for the best book in English on the Great War, has done outstanding historical work here, looking at aspects of this dynamic of destruction that tend to be ignored, during the years of war and the pre- and post-war periods alike. The author deepens our understanding of areas of history from the period in question like the Balkan Wars and the Eastern Fronts of World War One, in addition (and perhaps most importantly!) to his focussing of attention on what was happening 'in the background'. Alan Kramer not only explains how political circles approach the war option, but also explains the mindset of communities in Europe and how they perceived war, whether in terms of the elite, avant-garde intellectuals, soldiers, prisoners or people in general. This book provides precious information for readers wanting to understand the facts and mentalities (so often conveniently swept under the carpet despite still be capable of being brought to life again in adverse circumstances) that changed the destiny of peoples and communities in Europe and the world.
(FRo)
*** GERDA FALKNER, MIRIAM HARTLAPP, SIMONE LEIBER, OLIVER TREIB: In Search of the Worlds of Compliance. Promises and Pitfalls of Quantitative Testing. Institut für Höhere Studien (56 Stumpergasse, A-1060 Vienna. Tel: (43-1) 59991-0 - Fax: 59991-555 - Internet: http://www.ihs.ac.at ). "Political Science Series", No. 113. 2007, 19 pp.
In June 2007, European Library discussed the hundred and twelfth issue of this 'Political Science' series that compared and contrasted transposition of European legislation into the legal systems of old and new EU member states. In this issue, Gerda Falkner and Olivier Treib are joined by Miriam Hartlapp and Simone Leiber, to examine the subject further and provide an answer to questions raised by another researcher Dimiter Toshkov, who expressed doubt on the usefulness of classifying countries in accordance with the degree to which they meet their obligations. The authors bounce back and consider the link between quantitative and qualitative assessments of how Member States conform with EU legislation, along with useful indicators (transposition deadlines, variability and the influence of domestic policies, for example).
(FRo)
*** Las Políticas Comunitarias. Una visión interna. Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio (División de información, documentación y publicaciones), 160 paseo de la Castellana, 28071 Madrid, Spain. Tel: (34-91) 3495129 - Fax: 3494485 - Internet: http://www.mityc.es ). 2007, 726 pp, €20. ISBN 978-84-96275-38-6.
Published to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Spain joining the European Union, this book is probably the very first one to have been written by high-ranking former officials of the European Commission, all of the same nationality, to share reflection and memories of their work in the Institution. With an introduction written by the Spanish industry, tourism and trade minister, Joan Clos i Matheu, the book also has prefaces by two former European Commissioners of Spanish nationality, namely Manuel Marin (currently speaker at the Spanish parliament) and deputy prime minister Pedro Solbes. The book covers an eclectic range of subjects. For example, Fernando Mansito describes supranationality, and how structures and decision-making processes operate, while Antonio Alonso recalls the Commission's glory years under the presidency of Walter Hallstein and Jean Rey and then the presidency of Jacques Delors. The book's editor, Angel Vinas, explained in an interview with European Library that the eye-witness accounts bear witness to the admiration these 'old' high ranking officials had for Jacques Delors, along with a feeling of nostalgia and feeling home-sick for the Commission, especially during the years of enlightened leadership of the institution. Pablo Benavides, José Ramon Borrell, Francesc Granell, José Luis Iglesias and Eduardo Pena are among the other figureheads who contributed to this book. This successful initiative should serve as a inspiration for other nationalities!
(JPe)
*** MAXIMILIANO BERNAD Y ALVAREZ DE EULATE, SERGIO SALINAS ALCEGA, CARMEN TIRADO OBLES: Instituciones y Derechio de la Union Europea. Realizaciones, Informes y Ediciones Europa (Cometa, Ctra. Castellon, km. 3400, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain). 2006, 511 pp. ISBN 84-607-7936-X.
The updated new edition of a book published in 2003, this tome traces the evolution of EU law and analyses the sources of the legal system and how it has been drawn up at the various EU institutions. It then explains how EU rules are adopted and applied, along with the decision-making processes. Covering key moments in the history of the European integration project and big events like the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the authors (all lecturers at Zaragoza University, where Maximiliano Bernad y Alvarez de Eulate is Chair of the Royal European Studies Institute) go on to examine the inter-relation between EU law, public international law and the domestic legal systems of EU Member States, particularly Spain. Examining the jurisdictional control of the application of EU law provides the authors with an opportunity to examine the different appeals and compensation available in the event of failure to respect EU rules. The last part of the book looks at the role of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the integration process, finishing with examination of the concept of European citizenship. It should be noted that back in the first edition, the authors had pointed out the 'risky' nature of the Constitutional Treaty…
(JPe)
*** DOROTHEE VON ARNIM: Der Standort der EU-Grundrechtecharta in der Grudrechtsarchitektur Europas. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - Fax: 3761727 - E-mail: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.de ). "Schriften zum Staats- und Völkerrecht", n° 121. 2006, 649 pp, €91-10. ISBN 3-631-54768-4.
This thesis for Würzburg University in Germany sets the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights against the backdrop of changes in Europe in this domain, particularly changes in how it meshes with the European Court of Human Rights' Convention and existing protection in various national legal systems. The first concern is to examine the extent to which the Charter, due to the sometimes challenged supremacy of EU law might give rise to conflicts between the various courts responsible for implementing the various human rights protection mechanisms. The book raises a raft of questions which will surface again due to the new role given to the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the June 2007 European Council. The author how works as a rapporteur at the European Court of Human Rights. Her reflections would have made interesting reading at the time of drafting the constitution. These days, the Charter has become a legal instrument to be consulted ahead of the current challenges. Recommended reading to anyone involved in this domain.
(GFr)
*** Documents. Revue du dialogue franco-allemand. Bureau International de Liaison et de Documentation (50 rue de Laborde, F-75008 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 43879040 - Fax: 42935094 - E-mail: revue@bild-documents.org - Internet: http://www.revuedocuments.com ). 2007, No. 3, 80 pp, €7-80. Annual subscription €39.
This issue of the review of Franco-German dialogue includes a dossier on cross-border towns and cities, particularly the 'Eurodistricts' bordering the Rhine.
(PBo)