What Does Europe Want?: The Union and Its Discontents - Softcover

Review What Does Europe Want? deals with the crisis in a highly polemical and exciting way. One feels that one is involved in the discussions as they are taking place. This means that the text is highly readable but at the same time provides us with some important political, economic, and psychological background to many of the aspects of the crisis which tend to go unexamined or unreported. (Peter Thompson, Sheffield) An outstanding book -- radical in the best sense of the word -- a work that gets to the root of the matter, and gives theory material force. Two brilliant theorists expose the danger to the European Union. Srecko Horvat is a rising star in philosophy... iek is a theoretical tsunami. By reading the signs from the future, this book cuts through propaganda and ideological mystification to expose the gathering danger that threatens the European Union. (Kelsey Wood, author of iek: A Reader's Guide) The Slovenian madman and a charismatic Croatian philosopher, joined by the most dangerous Greek Politician, offer an analysis of the European deadlock in a way that is bitingly charming and bitterly intelligent. Any real European, faithful to the real idea of Europe, must read this. (Oliver Stone, American film director, screenwriter, producer) A spectre is haunting Europe -- the spectre of resistance to the European elites' sinister denial that there is something rotten in our continent's foundations. iek and Horvat, aided and abetted by no other than the leader of Greece's Radical Left party, animate this spectre. The pages of this book resonate with their powerful demolition of the European Union's Orwellian propaganda. Readers who care about Europe have a duty to share in their energy, irrespectively of whether they agree with them or not. (Yanis Varoufakis, Political Economist and author of The Global Minotaur and Game Theory: A critical text) How can we break, once and for all, the harness of social apathy on which the construction of Europe since 1989 is founded upon? The active participation of the masses in politics is the only thing that can frighten the rulling elite in Europe and worldwide. And that's exactly why we should make it happen. (Alexis Tsipras, Greek politican, president of SYRIZA)

Despite the fact that the European Union faces the biggest crisis since its foundation, on July 1st, 2013, a new state joined the club. For the foreseeable future, Croatia will probably be the last to join; at the same time creating a barrier between the once connected states of the Balkans. Paraphrasing Freud's famous question - What does a woman want? - one of the greatest European philosophers of our day, Slavoj Zizek, joins forces with the young Croatian philosopher, Srecko Horvat, to examine the burning question What does Europe want? Instead of a peace-project, the European Union is increasingly turning into a warzone: whether it be the expulsion of immigrants or riots in Paris and London, or European interventions to bring more democracy to Libya or Syria. Instead of leaving Europe to the enemies, Zizek and Horvat reflect on the fight for a different Idea of Europe; one that embraces all its peoples equally.