ABSTRACT

More than 30 years after their momentous book "Projekt Mitteleuropa", which had been written before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Emil Brix and Erhard Busek revisit the political space between Germany, Russia and the Mediterranean.

The volume explores the role of Central Europe in the 21st century, the importance of the European Union, the significance of a transforming Central Europe for European unity, and what happens when we marginalise Central Europe. The view of the authors is unequivocal: European integration will only succeed when the Central European countries from Poland to North Macedonia, from the Czech Republic to Romania and Moldova, will be seen as being at the heart of Europe. The European Union needs to build more common and fair ground between "old" and "new" member states. According to the authors, any further move towards a "Europe of two speeds" would lead to a break-up of the EU.

chapter |3 pages

Prologue

The geopolitical space between Germany and Russia and the rediscovery of the Mediterranean

chapter 1|12 pages

Where victory in the cold war began…

chapter 2|11 pages

Central Europe

The long journey to integration

chapter 3|13 pages

The EU expands eastwards

chapter 4|7 pages

The crises at contested borders

chapter 5|5 pages

Powerful neighbours

Guarantee or danger?

chapter 6|6 pages

Nationalism without end?

chapter 8|13 pages

The role of religion

chapter 9|6 pages

Migration

On moving in and moving out

chapter |6 pages

Epilogue

Democratic development in Central Europe