Achim Roder: Kingdom of Europe, Kartoniert / Broschiert

Klappentext

"Kingdom of Europe - A Story of Hope, Responsibility and the Venture of Democracy" is a utopian-political novel that sets out a peaceful, realistic vision for the future of Europe. Instead of dystopia and scenarios of decline, this work develops a positive, yet deliberately non-naive, scenario: it asks what might happen if Europe were to unite not out of fear of the world, but to re-found itself out of responsibility for it.

At the centre of the plot is the political process of transforming today's European Union into a genuine European federal state: the "Kingdom of Europe". Yet, contrary to what the name might suggest, this is not about restoring monarchy in the traditional sense, but about a political metaphor. Monarchy here is symbolic - it stands for moderation, dignity, historical memory and the power to unite in an age of increasing complexity.

The book begins with a moment of upheaval: a secret meeting in Rome at which leading European heads of state and government - including Markus Söder (Germany), Emmanuel Macron (France) and Keir Starmer (United Kingdom) - recognise the signs of the times. In a world of multiple crises - climate change, social division, technological upheaval and geopolitical tensions - they express the desire not merely to continue administering Europe, but to rethink it.

From this impulse emerges a constitutional convention, whose opening in Oslo is presented as a foundational democratic moment. Representatives from politics, academia, civil society, youth and culture come together. They work publicly, in dialogue with the citizens of Europe, on a new constitution - the "Carta Europa". This is not about technocratic drafts, but about the great question: what holds Europe together? What must such a state guarantee? What can it do better than the old EU?

The fundamental rights of the new state include not only classic freedoms and social protections, but also modern guarantees such as digital self-determination, climate justice, cultural diversity, participation beyond voting rights, and protection against algorithmic manipulation. The institutions are designed to be transparent, federal and participatory. A parliamentary democracy emerges, with direct citizen participation, an independent ethics council and a symbolic Crown Council, presided over by Charles III as the first constitutional monarch.

The path into the new order does not come about through a sudden rupture, but through political processes, debates and compromises. The Kingdom of Europe is not created by revolution, but through evolutionary transformation. The old EU is left peacefully - with clear communication, respect and the promise of preserving neighbourly relations and cooperation.

The book tells this process across 53 chapters. Chapter by chapter, the horizon widens: from the debates on fundamental rights in Oslo, to the introduction of the common currency "Euro-E", the establishment of a European central police force, new education and healthcare structures, and the accession of further states such as Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus.

A new cultural and geopolitical frame of reference also emerges: Europe develops a space programme, its own satellite system, a digital common-good internet and a transnational university.