Literature Review: Political Science, European Politics, Semester 2

This literature review examines three key articles in the field of political science. The first article, "The Tragedy of Central Europe," explores the history of nationalism and communism, and the transition from Stalinism to pluralism. The second article, "Managing Diversity in Europe," analyzes the evolving landscape of migration and integration policies within the European Union, emphasizing the challenges of managing diversity and the impact of migration from North Africa. The third article, "February 15, or What Binds Europeans Together," discusses the need for a common foreign policy and the political responsibilities of Europe in the global context. The review provides a critical analysis of each article, summarizing their arguments and highlighting key themes such as the legacy of Stalinism, the impact of migration, and the quest for a unified European identity.

Political science
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Literature Review
The Tragedy of Central Europe, in Gale Stokes (ed.), From Stalinism to Pluralism: A
Documentary History of Eastern Europe Since 1945
The book clearly advocates for the history of nationalism and communism. The author indicates
how the issue of communism and nationalism was vital in the entire history. The period indicates
how the period connected the social ideas in central Europe. Through this analogy, the author has
explained on different chronological concepts which articulate the concept of Stalinism to
Pluralism. The author shows how the two concepts started in Europe through different
perspectives (Stokes, 1991 p.13).
In addition the author also articulates on political context of the central Europe. The author
clearly outlines the East European politics in the post-World War II period. In addition, the book
clearly provides multi-faceted knowledge on the insight portrayed by the Soviet sphere that
influenced the Cold War.
The literature review will account for the legacy of Stalinism and the Marxist literary criticism in
Eastern Europe.
The legacy of Stalinism in Central Europe
The eastern European revolutions have been characterized by different aspects. The revolutions
accelerated the demise of the Soviet Union after the Cold War thus providing a major shift from
global balance to the power (Stokes, 1991 p.45). The book outlines that it has been more than 20
years since the collapse of the self-described communist in Eastern Europe. There was a protest
in Germany and Romania which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November. The revolution,

in general, is proof that there is no significant importance experienced in Europe since the end of
the Second World War.
In addition the author shows how revolutionary socialist seriously opposed the dictatorship
governance from Stalin's who was against the Soviet culture. The author argues that Leon
Trotsky was in the position to design new terms for Europeans regimes by 1940s. Trotsky
opposed policies such as rising bureaucracy which was seen as the antithetical aspect of
socialism. He also went ahead and resisted the rise of Stalin in full brown counterrevolution. The
bureaucracy was not a new ruling to Eastern Europe and people has once experienced its tough
powers and that's why Trotsky opposed it. Trotsky believed that socialism in Europe could be
only achieved by the social workers and that's why there was a need for bureaucratic government
in Eastern Europe.
The author accounts for the collapse of communism in Eastern Bloc which later resulted in the
triumph of to the supporters in the western style of capitalism. The author shows that the
characterization of European countries is connected to the assumption that socialism can be
explained as ownership of the economy (Stokes, 1991 p.76). There was the establishment of
Eastern Europe democracy after the Second World War although it had nothing to do with the
power of democracy.
The author concludes by showing the concepts which mainly strengthened the Marxism work
such as the communist manifesto in Eastern Europe, the power of capital and critique on political
economy. Marxism in Europe believed that the past history was due to struggle between the
economic class and the socialist movements which induced huge change for the end of Stalinism
in Eastern Europe.

‘Managing diversity in Europe: The state of the state in migration and integration policy,
Journal of European Integration
The article reveals how the issue of migration and integration has changed in Europe for the past
years. The issue has changed both nationally and at European level meaning that most of the
migration policies have transformed the overall image in Europe. The most issue spreading in
most of the news in Europe include the migrants from the Mediterranean shows all the way to
the Africa continent. The article clearly argues on how those migration practices which were
directly affecting the Europeans. The issue was to control the number of people entering Europe
from different countries in the world.
According to Andreas (2014), the issue of migration and integration policies in Europe has
evolved and changed in the past years. The migration and integration are both at the national
level and also at the European level in the countries. The book concerns with the news that are
related to North Africa migrants from Mediterranean shores to Europe. Europe needs to consider
migration of North- Africans along the sea.
Despite all these regulations, the migration policies in Europe were to regulate the migration
along the Mediterranean Sea whereby they were to come up with apt measures that will help
migrants in Mediterranean shore migrating without success. Most of the migrants at this point
were losing their lives as described by the authors in the article. By considering the political
instability within African, Europe has to come up with apt procedures which will control the
migration along the Mediterranean shore. The author, therefore, argues that Europe cannot
escape the "Age of Migration" thus there is need to focus on the main issues. Also, the author
shows that the European Union comprises of the ongoing project that advocates for diversity
management in Europe. The member states always bring different cultures, languages and

different economies. The European Union authority helps in granting citizenship that will benefit
the migrants.
In addition the author argues on the contours of European citizenship when handling diversity.
The past reviews show that European government always formulates rules that surround the
concept of migration. Citizenship in Europe involves granting the rights to the migrants and
offering them duties. Migrants tend to have the same rights as Europeans. They are granted
voting rights, right to contest as a candidate in any party and also right to access social services
as the Europeans. This shows how the Europeans have emphasized on diversity management. In
some cases, the aspect of citizenship in Europe emphasizes on both political and social
integration (Andreas, 2014 p.67) .Quite often the issue of citizenship also serves as the endpoint
in the declaration of migrant and state integration. In Europe, the model for diversity has been
integrated into different areas with the aim of ensuring social and economic improvement. The
issue is that the European Union finds ways of ensuring there is an effective relationship between
the native individuals and foreign populations. Policies are formulated to govern differences
arising from culture and linguistic aspects which have been identified as the cause of social
problems. Concepts of assimilation, integration and cultural pluralism emphasize social ethnic
diversity in Europe.
‘February 15, or What Binds Europeans Together: A Plea for a Common Foreign Policy,
Beginning in the Core of Europe
The two authors argue that there should be a co-signatories of what they have described as the
appeal and analysis that could bind the Europeans together. They argue that this regard is vital
for the Europeans and that's why the philosophers raised their voices to handle the disagreement
anticipated between French and German. The overall aim of their work was to describe the

European political responsibilities which were to be beyond the Eurocentrism. The authors have
called for the renewed confirmation and effective transformations of the internal law which will
be outlined in the UN charter. The overall focus for the UN will be to regulate the distribution of
authorities within Europe. Jürgen and Jacques (2003) show how we should remember on
February 15, 2003.The day was full of mass demonstrations which started in London and Rome,
Barcelona and Madrid, Paris and Berlin all reacted to the sneak attack at that time. The mass
demonstration was the largest protest to have ever been seen after the World War II. The two
authors argue that this was seen as the birth of the European public sphere at that time. Before
the emergence of the war in Iraq, there was a moral absence in the division of labor which was
believed to have catalyzed the strong emotions of the demonstration in European countries. In
order to account what happened in Europe in 2003, the authors have tried to explain on the
following concept;
European foreign policy: Who was first?
Jürgen and Jacques (2003) show that the Iraq crisis caused political instability in Europe. In
Britain the entire relationship with the USA was by no means of uncontested, meaning that all
the priorities stipulated by Downing Street was not clear. This indicated that the political projects
which aimed at raising the development of European.
Treacheries of European Identity.
According to Jürgen and Jacques (2003), unity can be achieved without commitment. This
means that the concept of stability in Europe is in conjunction with the cultures and a capable
dialogue which will promote peace. The EU has the capability to administer peace in all nations
and that is why it was in a position to foster peace after the World War II.

Also, the author explains the historical roots of the political issues in Europe. The modern world
has developed on either side of pyrenes which is totally different to the north and south Alps of
Europe. The author shows that the political system is not even linked with religious practices. All
the countries in Europe have experienced a bloom of empirical power. Jürgen and Jacques
(2003) advice to the nations by telling them that it is important to work hard to eradicate
Eurocentrism and anticipate a global domestic policy. The author reminds on how Europe should
not forget on two days in the newspapers when the Spanish prime minister requested for support.

References
Blätte, A., 2014. Managing diversity in Europe: The state of the state in migration and
integration policy.
Habermas, J. and Derrida, J., 2003. February 15, or what binds Europeans together: A plea for a
common foreign policy, beginning in the core of Europe. Constellations, 10(3), pp.291-297.
Stokes, G. ed., 1991. From Stalinism to pluralism: a documentary history of Eastern Europe
since 1945. Oxford University Press.