Sketches of a Theory of Europe as an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice

The main argument of this chapter is that the EU area of freedom, security and justice can be theoretically viewed as a space, which is presented as relying on normative claims, but, in fact, betrays its imperialistic ambitions. Within this space operates a powerful security discourse, which is inherently expansive, both internally and externally to the EU. The EU liberal project thus reveals its contradictions, because, in the very moment it puts forward its claim of universality, it falls prey of security's existential dimension, which dictates that the internal market must not only function smoothly, but must also be a secure market