The European 'Centaur': Power and authority in Europe's society of states

The collapse of communism and the geopolitical transformation of European international society sparked a major debate on the nature of the post-Cold War European security system. This debate acquired a new momentum after the events of 11 September 2001 and the subsequent war in Iraq, which exposed deep divisions within the transatlantic relationship and within Europe itself. At the heart of this debate on the future of Europe is the question of order. What is the underlying ordering principle upon which contemporary European international society is based? How has the demise of bipolarity affected this ordering principle? Is European order still based on Westphalian principles such as state sovereignty? Above all, what is the mix between power politics and consensual authority, and what is the role of military force in the reshaping of European order?