What Does Europe Want? The Union and its Discontents

Slavoj Zižek

Srećko Horvat

Istros Books

Paperback

202pp

ISBN: 9781908236166

Non-fiction

Publication date: 31 October 2013

£12

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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 ‘Was will das Weib?’ (‘What does a woman want?’), the leading Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek and the young Croatian philosopher Srećko Horvat join forces 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. But instead of leaving Europe to the enemies, Žižek and Horvat reflect on the fight for a different Idea of Europe.

“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