Author Description

For the European Union, military action should be adopted as a 'persuasion', a habitus (as encapsulated by Pierre Bourdieu, or an acquired pattern of perception, thought and action), or a Hintergrundkonsens (or background consensus, as in Jürgen Habermas), which shines through over time, be it erratically, and whose meaning we recognize only in retrospect. For the European Union to reach this goal, it will take time and will only be realized through deeds and achievement. It will also mean that the European Union-which is always referred to as a process, rather than a condition-is reaching adolescence. After the absorption of Central Europe into the European body politic, the European Union will have a clearer appreciation of its territorial shape. But the floods of the world's poor will continue, reminding the swollen 'Real Europe' of its 'real' tasks and the permeability of its borders. The European Union will (have to) realize that (its) territory is no longer the basis of (its) power; nor is it a sufficient guarantee of (its) security. The prospect of a 'Fortress Europe'-emulating the gated communities of opulence dotted across the United States-is unrealistic, while unsustainable. Threats to Europe's security know no inside/outside dichotomy; 'terrorists' of all feathers have cells, rather than bases, and use the internet, rather than classical diplomacy.