Research & Studies
More than 30 years after their momentous book “Projekt Mitteleuropa”, which had been written before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Emil Brix and Erhard Busek revisit the political space between Germany, Russia and the Mediterranean.
The volume explores the role of Central Europe in the 21st century, the importance of the European Union, the significance of a transforming Central Europe for European unity, and what happens when we marginalise Central Europe. The view of the authors is unequivocal: European integration will only succeed when the Central European countries from Poland to North Macedonia, from the Czech Republic to Romania and Moldova, will be seen as being at the heart of Europe. The European Union needs to build more common and fair ground between “old” and “new” member states. According to the authors, any further move towards a “Europe of two speeds” would lead to a break-up of the EU.
Emil Brix (born 1956 in Vienna) is Austrian diplomat and historian, at present Director of the Diplomatische Akademie Wien – Vienna School of International Studies. Since 1982 in the Austrian diplomatic service, among his positions: Consul General in Cracow/Poland, Director of the Austrian Cultural Institute in London/UK, Director General for Foreign Cultural Policy, Ambassador to the UK and Ambassador to the Russian Federation. He published numerous books and articles on 19th and 20th Century Austrian and European history.
Erhard Busek (born 1941 in Vienna) is former Austrian Minister for Science and Research, for Education, Vice-Chancellor; Special Representative of the Austrian Government for the Enlargement of the EU, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, President of the Vienna Economic Forum. Presently, he is Chairman of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, Coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative and Jean Monnet Professor ad personam.
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