A decade of Europe? Some reflections on an aspiration

This article suggests that Europe faces four primary challenges today. The first relates to democracy, as all the anxieties about the 'democratic deficit' in Community are writ even larger in the Union. A second issue is that of liberal legalism. Lawyers have long presumed that the 'new' Europe has been integrated 'through' law. This article suggests that the role of law is of far less importance to the future of the Union. A third problem, perhaps the most pressing, relates to enlargement. Is the 'new' Europe fully prepared for the inevitable shock that will follow the much-vaunted 'big bang'? Finally, there is the overarching problem of a continuing lack of ethos, or public philosophy, underpinning public life in the 'new' Europe.