Europe on Test: Narratives of Union and Disunion

The process of European integration has arrived at a crossroads. On the one hand, an increasing sense of uncertainty towards the future, deriving from widespread fears of radical change and apprehensions of potential social and economic hardship, threaten to undermine the confidence and trust in a European identity and community. On the other hand, an ever-stronger cosmopolitan identity is evolving within Europe and being shared among citizens in the continent. Digital platforms as well as increased mobility have created a sense of belonging to a wider world and a unified Europe.

At the heart of this dialectic of ‘European Union and Disunion’ are deeply rooted narratives shaping the way we conceive Europe. In this conference series, renowned scholars discuss the significance of such narratives from a variety of different angles – public sector, policy-making, media, science and scholarship – and within national and international contexts.

This conference series developed after a conference held at the British Academy in November 2016 under the title ‘European Union and Disunion: What has held Europeans together and what is dividing them?’

All conferences in the series are open to the public; interested individuals are invited to engage in reflections on the future of Europe and the European Union.