A Critical Analysis of Europeanism as an Ideology: Its Preconditions and Tenets

Abstract

This paper looks at European integration and specifically at its institutional form - the European Union from an ideological perspective. The author claims that 'Europeanism' has become a new ideology shared among intellectual, political, judicatory, societal, and even dominant economic elites that influence or shape the European Union as an institution and its major policies. As an ideology, 'Europeanism' is a somewhat exotic mixture of various, seemingly in coherent trends that give the current European Union its intriguing characteristics. On the one hand, economically, one can easily identify numerous elements of neoliberalism, especially regarding the financial aspects of European integration. Likewise, arguments used by the major proponents of European integration vis-à-vis USA, China, or Japan are of neoliberal character. At the same time, regarding international trade in agricultural products, intellectual property, or internal (single market) competition (freedom of labour) one rather quickly spots distinct elements of protectionism and over-regulation. Finally, in terms of philosophical outlook and especially moral issues, 'Europeanism' seems to be mostly focusing on the progressive agenda.