Numerous definitions coexist cause of heated debates Classifications cid 127 Geography Scandinavia to Mediterranean Atlantic to Urals ex Russia Idea exists in our common imagination not only a physical space community of values common values among all Europeans but can a country really be European and Asian at the same time Democracy Rule of Law Secularism Market Economy Social Solidarity Legacy of the Enlightenment and the Renaissance cid 127 Model for political economic and social organization how societies and economies should be organized European Union affects our understanding of Europe Europe as an economic community with a single market and a single currency Europe as a political community with common government institutions and policies Europe has several common meanings but Europe is also very diverse Unity in diversity history of conflict numerous nation states different government traditions different linguistic ethnic and cultural groups cid 127 Germanic Slavic Latin Celtic Different religious traditions Catholic Orthodox Protestant Jewish Muslim Euroskepticism Rejects the idea of a unified Europe doubt the concept of a single culture Criticism of the European Union parties on right of spectrum extremist think EU should be abolished European parliament has a group of members of parliament that are anti EU What is Western Europe has followed a distinctive path of political and economic development Birthplace of modern nation state and associated concepts sovereignty nationalism exclusive political authority legitimacy of new state states fulfill destinies of states nationalization politics transfer of political authority to the national government different countries different paths to democracy enlightenment birthplace of capitalism and market economy industrial revolution private ownership cid 127 market competition birthplace of capitalist critiques cid 127 Marx Communism protectionism state intervention social democracy european social model welfare state ideas of a limited government social contract concept of rights emphasis on reason and rejection of religious rule cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 Eastern vs Western Europe Eastern Different political and economic path After Middle Ages rule of empires Habsburg Russian Ottoman Prussian Belated development of sovereign nations Belated industrialization lack of economic prosperity Cold War reinforced divisions between East and West Europe divided between Communist and non Communist 1945 1989 East European countries in transition After Cold War three challenges democratization build market economies build new states Conclusion cid 127 Geographically Europe represents world region from atlantic to Urals As an idea Europe represents values historical and political development of Western Europe cid 127 Western Europe dominates how we understand what europe and european means cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127