The model of Europe as Empire as a Compromise Approach to European Integration to Ensure the Heterogeneity in the EU

Federalists dream about the great, at best homogeneous European state, realists – about the great come-back of the nation-states and their international system. Is it really the only choice? Should we really believe that the wesphalian state is the only one possible form of political organization? The paper puts out a thesis that there is a chance for compromise between the federal and realist approach to integration to ensure the heterogeneity and diversity in the EU political system. This compromise could be the form of integration which would appeal to the solutions presented by the model of Europe as Empire created by Jan Zielonka. Empire, in the contrast to the state, is not designed to be homogeneous; the term ,,empire” in that way is understood as political organization which is not the state. From the other hand, the subjects of the empire are not fully independent; the sovereignty is divided between the core and periphery to provide security, peace and development. Moreover, not only the territorial parts like contemporary states could be the subjects of empire; also the regions, megacities (metropolis) or even local communities with their own identity could be included in the decision-making processes in concrete policies. The paper argues that the European Union could be seen as a form of empire because is too large and too complex to be the state ever; the aim of the paper is to outline the solutions of the model of Europe as empire that could be applied to chosen EU policies (border policy, migration policy and economic policy in the case of the shape of economic system) to resolve the economic and social crises of the EU and find out the way to ensure the diversity and prosperity for people. Currently shape of these policies indicates that the EU is going to become the state – because of the strict regulations, central governance of finance and decision-making processes in which only the states have the right to vote (according to Treates) to set the purposes and scope of these policies. Meanwhile, these policies have a great impact on the condition of cities, specific regions, local communities and social actors at all. The model of Europe as Empire could response to the desire of involvement for such actors and also meet the need of integration. Thanks to such approach to integration, diverse but united Europe could gain the social legitimacy and find its place in more and more complex and heterogeneous world, facing the economic and political challenges.