Rethinking Europe

Rethinking Europe examines the trajectories of Europe''s past multinational empires to inform a rigorous critique of the current state of the European Union and propose directions for its future. Building a firm historical basis for the subsequent analysis of contemporary Europe, the book describes the rise and fall of the Roman Republic and Empire; the Empires of Byzantium, Charlemagne and the Ottomans; and the confederal systems of Germany, Switzerland and the US. In this context, the current shape and constitution of the EU are critically reviewed and proposals put forward for root-and-branch reforms to make the post-Brexit EU attractive and operational again for enlargements to the West and East. The book assesses the vision of a Eurasian Union from Lisbon to Vladivostok and expands it beyond, including Japan, Korea and Taiwan as a Eurasian customs union area.