URBINATI, Nadia
For a Sovereign Europe

A specter haunts Europe: the specter of sovereignty. Legacy of a prestigious political tradition, sovereignty has metamorphosed into a monster in the 19th century, with the advent of nationalism and the ensuing catastrophes that tainted the globe in blood. Today, at a time when nationalist passions seem to be back with a vengeance, a renewed call for sovereignty presents itself as a return towards populations and territories to be defended. Any project aiming at doing away with nations and finding the route towards a larger political ensembles seems to be barred by what is now presented as a sacred value – the one of a people selecting its own way of being governed. But what if this was wrong? What if sovereignty could designate another horizon than the one of nations? What if Europe could become the place for a new experiment on the meaning and extension of sovereignty and democracy? This would mean a sovereign Europe. [publishers' note]

Published by Berggruen Press, 2025
Philosophy / Essays