Cosmopolitanism in the Face of Populism – Contemporary Challenges on the Path of European Identity Formation

Abstract

Abstract:The paper examines the continuing viability of the critique of methodological nationalism in the context of recent resurgence of nationalist sentiments across western liberal democracies. Using the distinction between first and second modernity, it shows how cosmopolitan social theorising can actually be seen as predictive of some of the effects that nationalist populism has enjoyed in the context of the post-2008 series of crises. The discussion is mostly focused on the challenge the current political dynamics poses to the weak forms of social integration underpinning the project of European supra-national unification.Keywords: cosmopolitanism; nationalism; modernity; Ulrich Beck; Jonathan Heidt.Juxtaposition of cosmopolitanism with nationalism has recently been moved from the realm over theoretical consideration to the forefront of political challenges faced by western liberal democracies in the post-financial crisis era. For quite a while, most observers were focused on the difficulties involved in forging a unity of purpose among the disparate societies participating in the project in European integration and, yet, instead of becoming have a closer falling into ever more acrimonious disunion under conditions of lender-imposed economic austerity. The never-ending recriminations over possible "exists", and the actual reality of the vote for Brexit, brought back to the fore open discourse of national interests and resentments of the European Union member states. Not only was the openly nationalist talk of us against them back in a way not seen before, but also it happened to be underpinned by the political dynamic of the resurgent nationalist political parties all over the continent. In fact, this time round not even the usually robust institutions of German political mainstream succeeded in facing off the rising Alternative fur Deutschland. However, most shocking of all -both due to the largely unexpected nature of the event and the still unpredictable magnitude -a nativist, nationalist and unilateralist surge brought down the floodgates of Washington. Throughout the protracted 2016 presidential campaign, the problem of America-first populism was seen as a major challenge that the incoming administration would be forced to somehow deal with, but few in any serious pundits or analysts considered the possibility that this populism would actually be

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