Continuities of Historical Crises and Discourses of Europe From the “Neo-Latin Past” to the 21st Century

Europe and the EU have been facing many crises and challenges in recent years. From Brexit and rising nationalism to economic problems and unanimous refugee policies, most of them remain unsolved. Instead of moving forward with the European integration project, Europe seems to regress in many instances. Considering this turmoil, it seems all the more important to historicize the affirmative discourse of Europe and to expand the knowledge of the European unification process with novel insights into its history. Only if a broad understanding of its roots and developments prevails, the conflicts of the present can be better evaluated and addressed. Particularly one set of so far neglected sources from Europe’s past serves as guiding light in that respect: the early modern Europe literature written in the Latin language. Between 1400 and 1800, Latin enjoyed a similar status in promoting scientific discoveries, negotiating political affairs and generally communicating on an international level as modern-day English. By offering a brief glance at some historically influential Latin texts from the early modern discourse of Europe, this article will show that the early modern European crises strikingly resemble Europe’s current crises despite the difference in political, social, and economic circumstances. The discourse of Europe has from the beginning been a stable discourse, characterized by the same recurring questions for centuries. When used as reference point for the crises of the 21st century, the prospects for the European integration look better than presumed.