Cidadãos da Europa? Algumas reflexões sobre o patriotismo constitucional

Abstract

In the last decades of the twentieth century, the imaginary of an irresistible globalization imposed itself in an almost hegemonic fashion. Proposed as an historical necessity, this paradigm has been exerting a remarkable influence. For instance, the political project of European integration is frequently presented as the necessary answer to the challenges of globalization and to its main protagonist, the United States. It is within this socio-historical framework that I shall discuss what is perhaps the main political challenge of the present generation of Europeans – how to imagine a European-wide democracy, in which citizens of various nationalities within a multilevel political system might participate? My answer to this question points to the need of reconstructing the modern conception of citizenship, in a manner consistent with the socio-historical conditions of the hodiernity in which we live.

Keywords

• European citizenship
• globalization
• European constitution
• European integration