The EU's Imperial Rebrand: Old Ambitions, New Scapegoats
FIRST INSTANCE: The 'European Project' as a Bulwark (1950s) The foundational idea of a unified Europe, post-WWII, was sold as a path to peace and prosperity, a response to external threats (then, the Soviet bloc). The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), established in 1951, was a pragmatic move to control resources vital for war and foster economic interdependence. The promise was always
'shared security' and 'economic stability,' often under the implicit or explicit protection of the US. Yet, underlying this was a distinct ambition for continental power projection, which occasionally chafed against American hegemony. REPETITIONS: The Search for a Common Enemy (1990s-2010s) The 'threat narrative' re-emerged with renewed vigor after the Cold War. In the early 2000s, 'globalization'
and rising powers like China were frequently cited as reasons for the EU to speak with 'one voice' and bolster its internal market. A prime example is the push for the Lisbon Treaty (signed 2007, ratified 2009), which aimed to streamline decision-making and enhance the EU's global presence. Then, as now, debates raged about internal protectionism versus 'open' markets, with France often advocating
for 'European preference' and Germany pushing for broader trade relationships. This pattern resurfaced during the 2008 financial crisis, when the narrative shifted to resisting 'outside speculators' and cementing internal financial controls, often at the expense of indebted southern European states (EU data, 2010). OUTCOMES: Centralization and Disparity Every Time Each iteration of the 'external