Václav Havel European Dialogues, Prague Conference 2014: PART 3

3rd session: Europe and the Limits of Civil society.
From Consensus to a Conflict-driven Policy?
The process of integration has been led by an ideal but has mainly moved forward on the apolitical terrains of law, institutions and economy. Calls for democratization of the EU paradoxically weaken the Union's legitimacy. They make the EU, which has so far functioned by consensus (seen by some as technocratic governance), a significantly more conflict-driven policy. The effect is to replicate problems and conflicts historically associated with the modern democratic state and civil society. Is a move toward genuine politicisation the best way for Europe to emerge from its present crisis? Where are the possibilities and limits for the engagement of the civil society?

Speaker: Jiří Přibáň (Cardiff)
Discussant: Frank Herterich (Berlin)
Chair: Martin Bútora (Bratislava)