Solidarity in the European Union

on the individual decision maker (Erdoğan) in the final analysis. The book, however, is a in Turkey’s deepening crisis with the U.S.-led very rich source for students of Turkish for- order, leaving systemic dynamics peripheral. eign policy because it provides a very detailed Although the book starts with an emphasis analysis of Turkey’s recent crisis with the on the importance of the systemic variable West. It is also good reading for policymak- in explaining the behavior of actors, it paints ers wishing to understand the reasons for the the political leader as the source of everything crisis and possible solutions to it. Solidarity in the European Union Edited by Andreas Grimmel and Susanne My Giang Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2017, 175 pages, $119.99, ISBN: 9783319570358 Reviewed by Hamza Preljević, International University of Sarajevo This volume originates from a con- independence movements, Brexit, ference on ‘Solidarity and its Crisis migration, refugees, nationalism, in the European Union’ that was right wing populism as well as the held at the University of Hamburg threat of terrorism– is present in the from June 2-3, 2016, and aims to Union. A deficit in appeals to soli- discuss how solidarity is applied in darity in all of these issues is obvi- practice among the Member States ous, and this threatens the existence of the Union. It is a vital contribu- of the Union in its current state. tion for understanding the solidarity of the European Union (EU). The two main Although solidarity is a core value and is in parts of this volume deal with (i) the concept the DNA of the Union, this volume argues of solidarity and its theoretical and practical that the member states have recently given meaning, and (ii) how the crisis of solidarity bad examples. Solidarity was –and should re- has become a crucial test for the integration main– a motor for European integration. In project of the Union. This volume brings a other words, solidarity is the only ‘currency’ multidisciplinary perspective to its analysis of Europe needs as a prerequisite for the inner the crisis of solidarity in the EU. The volume and true cohesion of the Union. The Union stands for the idea that the good intentions needs to take concrete actions to show what of European solidarity are not enough unless solidarity actually means, and apply it in the the solidarity turns into practice. context of the EU. Without solidarity there is no cohesion of the Union, and if there is no The EU is widely considered a pioneer in re- cohesion, unfortunately, there is no capacity gional integration. It is often said the Union to act either inside or outside the Union. Soli- has faced many crises before, but since recent darity and cohesion are intimately connected. times “a lack of solidarity in dealing with the Solidarity, as a prerequisite, is contextualized many crises” (p. v) –such as financial turmoil, with “democracy, subsidiary, loyalty, sustain- the Eurozone crisis, the rise of separatist and ability and citizenship” (p. 40), as well as in 2018 Summer 297 BOOK REVIEWS the context of human and social rights. It is stance, in the case of migration policy, a grow- expected that as the EU shifts more compe- ing tendency toward right wing extremism, tences from the national to the European which emerged with anti-refugee and anti- level, that national solidarity will be trans- immigrant parties and movements (p. 81), is ferred to the supranational level (p. 53). How- a product of the electoral campaigns in many ever, solidarity at the national level remained member states (e.g. Poland, Hungary, etc.). untouched. It’s espousal by some political figures (e.g. Miloš Zeman in the Czech Republic, Viktor The volume argues that European solidar- Orbán in Hungary, etc.) has led to an “out- ity has to be defined more clearly and cat- burst of xenophobia publicly and on social egorized into different forms; it defines four media” (p. 91). This trend contradicts the val- types of solidarity –transnational, suprana- ues of Europe –solidarity, harmonization, hu- tional, intergovernmental, and international manitarian protection (p. 79). The analysis in (p. 51). Transnational solidarity is based on this volume indicates that this limitation has the ideas, norms and values that transcend emerged due to the cost-benefit calculation of national boundaries (e.g. the slogans of work- the Member States which often analyze their ers movement). The European Trade Union cost based on short-term perspectives, rather Confederation and the European Works than on medium-term or long-term perspec- Council might be examples of the transna- tives. As a result, the harmonization of the EU tional solidarity, too. Supranational solidarity policy has been questioned from time to time. is “complementing or overarching solidarity at the national or subnational levels” (p. 52). It The impact of the solidarity crisis has raised creates solidarity between European citizens, fundamental questions: first in terms of the and is based on the sense of belonging as Eu- limits of solidarity, and secondly in terms of ropean citizens. Intergovernmental solidarity the consequences of its absence –in other oscillates between the fundamental principles words, what are the implications of the lack of the EU: “the protection of autonomy and of solidarity for the integration project and its the promotion of the community” (p. 52). future prospects? From its outset, European Last but not least, international solidarity en- integration was based on the assumption and compasses European solidarity among nation desirability of a degree of intra-community states in the international arena. (intra-members) solidarity which shaped European identity. The European unifica- The most recent crisis has revealed that soli- tion project lured the member states “into darity means different things to different solidarity by creating a common European people and different governments, and as a production base and market rather than by result, there is a growing need to reconsider appealing to shared ideas” (p. 13). Therefore, and reshape what makes European solidarity. EU solidarity could be understood as a bond This volume illustrates the possible limits of that made up the ‘we’ of the Union. For this solidarity in practice. Energy and migration reason, the contributors suggest that “build- policy are good examples. Both are high on ing solidarity on the basis of shared economic the European agenda, and are central to the interests is probably still the best policy” of role of the Union according to the Treaty of the Union (p. 14). Lisbon. Nevertheless, both of the policies are marked by the limitation of solidarity. For in- More attention has to be paid to truly imple- 298 Insight Turkey menting the ‘Solidarity Clause’ of the Lisbon their ‘homework;’ or in other words to give Treaty, framed in Article 222 in the Treaty support for the implementation of what is on the Functioning of the European Union prescribed by the Article 222. (TFEU), which formulates and creates ex- plicit demands upon EU members to act This edited volume is highly recommended jointly and to assist one another in the event to all who have even a basic interest in un- of terrorist attacks and natural or man-made derstanding the solidarity of the EU. Without disasters. This kind of solidarity is not po- maintaining European solidarity and expand- litical talk but action on the ground, and in ing mutual understanding, the previously a broader context, solidarity could mean the constructed ‘we’ identity of the EU could be duty of everybody [each member state] to do threatened. The Politics of Fear: What Right-Wing Populist Discourses Mean By Ruth Wodak London: SAGE Publications, 2015, 238 pages, £23.99, ISBN: 9781446246993 Reviewed by Zana Baykal, Sakarya University The European political landscape Ruth Wodak, Emeritus Distin- has been changing gradually from guished Professor and Chair in left to right wing since the end Discourse Studies at Lancaster of the Cold War. Particularly in University, examines the discourse the last decades, the people have and communication strategies of turned towards right wing popu- these parties in her book The Poli- list parties (RWPPs, henceforth), tics of Fear: What Right-Wing Pop- which have diminished the votes ulist Discourses Mean. She traces of mainstream political parties how the discourses and strategies almost all over the continent. The electoral of these parties persuade people to vote for breakthrough of RWPPs across Europe was them, and why they are quite successful. She made possible by the casting of at least 30 mainly argues that these parties pump fear million votes according to some calcula- into the community, which consequently tions, in a trend that has gained great mo- changes voting behavior. RWPPs intimidate mentum over the past five years.1 Right wing people by arguing that under the current mi- parties have gained enough leverage to be gration policies they will lose their welfare pivotal in some countries. The steady surg- and their job, their culture will change, gen- ing of RWPPs and the transformation they der roles will change, and they will disappear are causing has drawn the attention of many if it goes on like this. These parties profit from academics from different disciplines and has conditions like the global financial crisis, mi- greatly increased the number of studies on gration flow to Europe, the negative effects of this matter. the Arab Spring, and the rise of fundamen- 2018 Summer 299.

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