“Time Is Out of Joint”: EU and Russia in Quest of Themselves in Time

Abstract

The current direct confrontation between Russia and the Western countries in Europe was not unexpected, but its possible consequences are frightening. In this article the author suggests looking at the conflict between Russia and the EU through the lens of Aleida Assmann’s concept of “temporal breach” in the “modern time regime” (modernity). One of the reasons for the escalation is that the conflicting sides have different visions of the past, present and future, as well as of their place in the new world. The author also traces the development of modernization theory and analyzes the modernization practices Russia and EU countries chose to use after 1991 Russia has largely been practicing conservative modernization, where the state is the main actor relying on certain public demand. The EU countries have been implementing a multi-vector liberal modernization model in line with the goals of post-industrial society, with a variety of state and non-state actors involved and the focus put on the human rights value.