Świat wobec wyzwań współczesności – spojrzenie europeisty

Abstract

The deliberations presented in this article are based on the assumption that in broadly understood European studies and studies on European integration we should apply a broader view to the analysed issues. For instance, the international aspects of the functioning of the European Union should be perceived also from the global perspective, taking into account the evolution of the modern world. The world is currently undergoing extensive changes, the direction of which cannot be predicted at this point. The predominant Western development model, based on liberal democracy and free-market economy, is under a major crisis and, what is more, it has recently gained competition in the form of alternative models, starting with the anti-Western Asian model. The main thesis of the article comes down to the observation that the Western model – despite its shortcomings and the fact that it should by no means be imposed on anyone by force – has good chances of being a universal model and of still playing a very important role in the world in the future.