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Liberty, Solidarity, and Community: Capitalism and European Integration, 1945 to the Present

Foreign Affairs | 2026-08-18 | europe

Topics: Europe

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English Summary

The article argues that successful European integration hinges on reconciling three often-conflicting principles of market economies: liberty (market freedom), solidarity (social/environmental protection), and community (national security). Europe's unique ability to manage this balance is attributed to its distinctive governance structure, which combines intergovernmentalism with federalist policy harmonization, supported by institutions like the European Commission. Since these mechanisms are products of Europe’s specific history, the implications suggest that other global regions must develop alternative models and institutional frameworks to reconcile these three core principles if they seek deep integration or stability.

中文摘要

本文主張,成功的歐洲整合取決於調和市場經濟中三個經常相互衝突的原則:自由(市場自由)、團結(社會/環境保護)與共同體(國家安全)。歐洲獨特地管理這種平衡的能力,歸功於其特殊的治理結構——該結構結合了政府間機制與聯邦式政策協調,並得到歐盟委員會等機構的支持。由於這些機制是歐洲特定歷史的產物,本文的啟示表明,若其他全球區域尋求深度整合或穩定,必須發展出替代性的模式和制度框架來調和這三個核心原則。

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