The article by António Covas, published in Observador, analyses the current state of European politics beyond State politics. The author argues that the European spatiotemporal architecture is marked by plurality and heterocrony that demands urgent reflection on the policy framework of the future. He argues that the repoliticisation of the future is necessary to create stability, confidence and dialogue between European partners, emphasising that the communication line of representative democracy should be more horizontal and circular than vertical.
The author identifies a profound transformation in European politics, where the art of rhetoric and procedure have taken the place of genuine political discourse, and the administration of interests and lobbies has replaced political governance. He introduces the concept of the "4th sector" to designate a vast set of areas in paradigmatic transition, including the 3rd sector, social solidarity, the environment, the circular economy, cooperation for development, education, scientific and technological research, and the cultural and creative sector, which will pass through collaborative technological platforms.
Covas warns of the risk of the rise of authoritarianism as a response to contingency, creating a confrontation between liberal democracies and illiberal democracies. He argues that, in the knowledge and culture society, knowledge will count as much as power, allowing self-governing communities and relieving an overburdened State. However, he warns that greater European interdependence also implies greater internal contingency, with consequences for external political decision-making.
The author concludes that the fight against major global risks and the formation of risk communities could constitute the best source of political re-legitimisation of the European Union. He questions, however, whether there is consistency for a political economy of the commons in the EU, warning that covert and utilitarian federalism, instead of a genuine debate on common goods, may lead to a Balkanisation of European politics with unpredictable consequences.
