About Time: the foundational narratives of European Community
CATHERINE EUNICE DE VRIES - Università Bocconi
FRANCESCA CAPPELLETTI - National Museum Galleria Borghese
In order for the European project to address current challenges, such as climate change, economic instability, political polarization or the rule of law crisis, I argue that Europeans need to confront their past. I will distinguish between different foundational narratives about the EU and outline how they continue to shape EU politics of the present day. History is not only the recollection of events; it represents the connections that the public and elites wish to make. So, in order to develop policy solutions to cross-border issues, European contemporaries need to critically revisit past connections and to uncover blind spots. If Europeans revisit the EU’s foundational narratives, they might also figure out what should change in the EU today.