What is Europe’s identity? Should we draw on the roots, particularly the Christian roots, of the various European countries to reconstitute myths, a particular civilisational narrative, in order to assert European unity internally and its power on the international scene?

Should we instead move away from this temptation and take a lucid and critical look at European history, in order to try to give concrete expression to the universal ideals that are always brandished but often flouted in practice?

Do European values – whose definition is the subject of intense debate – have a universal dimension? Can we hope and encourage their dissemination without adopting a post-colonialist attitude?

In response to these questions, different theoretical options are defended by several publications of the Grand Continent, notably “Is Europe post-Christian?” by Luuk Van Middelaar and Pierre Manent and “The Unthought Past: For a Critical European Narrative” by Hans Kundnani.

We will extend these written discussions with a live debate on Tuesday 11 October with :

Thierry Chopin, professor of political science at ESPOL (Université Catholique de Lille), special advisor to the Jacques Delors Institute.
Rokhaya Diallo, journalist, author, director, researcher in residence at Georgetown University (Washington D.C.).
Philippe Portier, director of studies at the École pratique des hautes études, holder of the Chair “Histoire et sociologie des laïcités”.
Myriam Revault d’Allonnes, philosopher and professor emeritus at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes.