Towards a Decolonial European Studies

As their empires ended, European states developed a new constellation of power via the European Union, one that, unsurprisingly, reproduces colonial attitudes and approaches. This book brings decolonial thinking to bear on the institutions, structures and policies of the EU to analyse the colonial and racial hierarchies at play today.

Study of the European Union has largely focused on the institutional and policy instruments of the supranational organization that European states formed after the Second World War. With predominant narratives of peace and security within and between its members, Europe seeks to turn the page on its colonial past. This book brings a decolonial lens to the constellation of contemporary European power and delineates how the region’s colonial and racialized attitudes and approaches imbue the structures and policies of today’s Union. A mindset that informs both internal policies and institutions as well as interactions with former and currently colonized territories and their people. This is an essential resource for students of Europe, who want a critical, historically informed understanding of the role of colonialism and racism in the founding, development and future of the European Union.