Germany's Hegemony Revisited (original) (raw)

This paper considers two rival theses concerning Germany’s dominance over Central Europe, providing with a more up-to-date vision, in which Europe can be divided into three regions–countries in the European Union before 2004, Central and Eastern European countries which are a part of the European Union and Eastern European countries which are not a part of the European Union (Turkey being excluded). Within those regions different levels of German dominance prevail, being Germany most influential over the westerner Europe, therefore, the paper allies with the thesis of a non existing Germany’s hegemony. It also considers the dangers of the Russian imperialistic aspirations and its alliances with Ukraine and Byelorussia. Thus, it is vital for the European Union to congregate and face these issues in a single voice (especially when matters of citizen’s well-being are undermined, such as the gas proving, that occurred on January 2010). Such a mission must be taken over by the Central and Eastern member states, with Germanic-Russian backgrounds, so that there can be a better understanding, towards prosper negotiations between Europe and its neighboring eastern powers.