Whiteness and the European project

Organised by

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• Department of Political and Social Sciences
• GGP: Global Governance Programme

European identity is often perceived as inclusive or even cosmopolitan, but in the long history of ideas of Europe, it has been defined against a series of 'Others'. In the medieval times, it was synonymous with Christianity while in the modern era, it became closely associated with "whiteness". The ethnic and cultural elements of European identity didn't suddenly disappear in 1945; but instead they persisted, influencing what later became the European Union – initially a colonial project, which was subsequently written out of the story of European integration. Today, as the far-right movements rise across Europe, and the EU increasingly sees itself as representing a threatened European civilisation, this ethnic and cultural dimension of European identity may once again become stronger. In this talk, Hans Kundnani will present his new book "Eurowhiteness: Culture, Empire and Race in the European Project".