ABSTRACT
India and the European Union (EU) have many things in common: (subcontinental size, political systems based on a liberal understanding of plural democracy, an underdeveloped international potential and especially a variety of ethnic, linguistic, religious and other cultural diversities. But the parallels have to be seen in combination with the differences: India is a federation, acting as one sovereign state. The EU, on the other hand, is an unfinished federation whose members still see themselves as sovereign states. And, of course: despite impressive economic growth rates for almost two decades, India has still to be considered a rather poor subcontinent – while the EU belongs to the group of the most prosperous societies.
