Challenging the European Union as a product of American multilateralism, neo-liberalism, and globalisation

Zečević Slobodan (Institut za evropske studije, Beograd), szecevic5@gmail.com

The establishment of the European Communities and the European Union fits into the prevailing multilateral conception of international relations imposed by the United States in the years after World War II. The European Union had the task of merging several national markets into one, namely to liberalise trade, ensure free competition within the internal European market, and enact European legislation that would unify the economic norms of its member states. Seen as a multilateral product of a neoliberal ideological concept, the European Union has found itself under attack from neoconservative ideology and the American counter-revolution led by the American “businessman”, politician, and president, Donald Trump. This supranational organisation is no longer an American darling, nor a disciplined and subordinate ally. Still, it is increasingly perceived as a “parasite” that lives at the expense of the United States of America and that subjugates its citizens, eradicating their national and state identity, as well as basic democratic values. Therefore, the 21st century marks a period in which the European Union has faced the internal institutional crisis and external existential challenges.

Keywords: European Union, multilateralism, globalisation, sovereignty, rule of law, neoconservatism