A War for Europe’s Soul: Revisiting Carl Schmitt in the Age of Ukraine

Studio Central and Eastern Europe

Stefan Auer, Professor of European Studies at the University of Hong Kong, and Martin Kohlrausch, Professor of European Political History at KU Leuven, discuss the systemic obstacles that prevent the European Union from responding effectively to the war in Ukraine. In this intriguing, if not entirely optimistic conversation, the two academics examine why the EU's technocratic approach falls short in times of war. They also ponder whether liberal Europe can still learn from the "dangerous mind" of Carl Schmitt—a brilliant, if morally compromised, political philosopher who aligned himself with Hitler's Nazi ideology but left behind a body of sharp political writing.

Stefan Auer participates in the project HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine, led by KU Leuven and co-funded by the EU.