Europe: the Crisis and the Rebirth
- Binding: paperback
- Author: collective work
- Publisher: Instytut Zachodni
- PL ISSN: 0033-2437
- Publication date: 10 January 2022
- Number: 3/2021
- Number of pages: 182
- Size: A5
The state of today’s Europe results inextricably from the successive turning points that have steered the course of its political transformations, at times fundamentally upsetting its economy and recasting its social life with reverberations extending well into the cultural, intellectual and spiritual spheres. As noted by the author of the article on axiological disputes over Europe published in this issue of the quarterly of the Institute for Western Affairs, the concept of crisis, whose strong association with the Old Continent dates at least as far back as the age of Enlightenment, paradoxically proves the vitality of Europe’s spirit and its capacity to critically self-reflect and revamp collective life. A vivid example of such influence is the origin of the Benelux, which the article portrays as being demonstrative of the success of small state strategies: the "war child" of diplomacy, preparing the new Europe in advance despite the looming totalitarian threat.
A historical perspective may place in fuller context the current challenges discussed by the authors of other articles. Despite what a cursory evaluation might suggest, the seemingly incidental benefits that are reaped in the process of tackling such challenges may be quite surprising. One example is Serbia's effort to step up its preparations for European Union membership that was inspired by the migration crisis. This goes to show that the course on which today’s Europe has found itself is controlled by both crises and the rebirths that come on the heels of changes undertaken in response to historical calamities, such as those that appeared to have completely devastated the Old Continent in the 20th century