Justine Lacroix
The Values of Europe, a democratic challenge
A book to fuel the debate on democratic Europe and its legitimacy in this European election year.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, proclaimed on December 7 2000, introduced the concept of " values " into the language of Europe. Since then, the associated repertoire (dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, citizenship, justice) has been omnipresent in the institutions' communication and mobilization strategies, forming the main legitimizing pillar of European construction. At a time when the association between democracy and the rule of law no longer seems self-evident, when the imperative of security is often pitted against respect for freedoms, and when freedom of movement sometimes threatens the demands of social justice, Justine Lacroix recalls the inseparable links between individual freedom and collective self-determination, insists on the need to maintain a sense of the distinctions between liberalism and authoritarianism, and questions the Union's desire to build a " area of freedom, security and justice ". The conviction that animates this book is that political thought has a role to play in elucidating the terms that Europeans claim for themselves, while leaving ample room for the conflicts of interpretation that are at the heart of all democratic activity.
Lacroix J., Les Valeurs de l'Europe, un enjeu démocratique, Paris, Collège de France, coll. " Conférences ", 2024, 104 p .
ISBN : 978-2-7226-0650-0
Price : 18 €
Publication : 16 May 2024
