Foreword by Holger Standertskjöld

Summary

I am delighted to support the publication of this excellent book. Professor Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller is an astute scholar and experienced diplomat who showcases the stunning successes of the European Union (EU) as well as the challenges it has faced.

A vast number of books have been written about the EU, examining all aspects of its history and architecture, but very few have looked at the EU from an Asian perspective. Professor Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller is in a remarkable position to do so. As a Danish diplomat and academic who has lived and worked in Asia for a number of years, he has used his first-hand experience and extensive knowledge of both regions to portray the EU from a new angle. He has been able to concentrate in this book on aspects of the EU that are of special relevance to an Asian audience. I believe this work will be of great interest to readers within Europe, but even more so to those in regions outside Europe who are concerned about the development of their own future integration.

The experience of European integration has been a unique one. The EU does not purport to be a model for any other region. However its evolution holds lessons that may interest countries that are engaging in regional integration and wish to continue to thrive in an increasingly globalized world.

It has to be recognized that the EU is not perfect. Almost by definition, its policies and decisions cannot please everyone because they are necessarily a compromise between the interests of twenty-seven national governments and a wide range of political viewpoints.

The EU is also a very new experiment in transnational democracy. Ways have to be found to make it work better — and better again. A Union of twenty-seven cannot be run with machinery designed for a Community of six. The challenges of the twenty-first century cannot be met using methods designed for the 1950s. After much introspection and debate following the rejection of the Constitutional Treaty in 2005, the leaders of the twenty-seven member states of the EU signed the Lisbon Treaty in December 2007. It is another step in the evolution of the EU.