Europe Wasn’t Meant To Become The EU—Here’s What We Lost | Enrico Mayor Podcast #14

Ulrike Guérot — European political scientist — Europe isn’t “the EU,” and the only way out of today’s crisis is to rebuild Europe’s republic‑spirit from culture upward—before war rebuilds it for us.In this uncut conversation we discuss:• The 1534 “Europa Regina” map and what it reveals about Europe’s lost identity• Why the EU’s nation‑state design broke the original citizen‑driven promise of Europe• How NATO, GAFA, and the dollar created a deep US dependency Europe can’t ignore• The “oligarchization” of society: why cities homogenize while regions die• A vision for 2049: Europe as a “big Switzerland” (republican, federal, neutral, cultural)00:00 - What Europe promised at its “birth”00:15 - Europe’s origins: Which date counts—and why it matters00:48 - The 1534 “Europa as a woman” map (Europa Regina)01:55 - Europe’s promise: unity after religious wars & the Renaissance03:01 - Art as a warning signal: Europe painted in peace vs. war04:08 - Ventotene (1941): the forgotten blueprint for a social, democratic Europe06:00 - Hertenstein (1946): Switzerland’s citizen-led plan for a European federation07:17 - Churchill in Zurich: how nation-states “won” over citizen democracy10:42 - Europe ≠ EU: why Guérot says the EU is losing legitimacy13:47 - The three US dependencies: NATO, GAFA, and the dollar16:42 - Why Europe’s towns feel worse: neoliberalism, polarization, and lost community19:20 - Civil war criteria: atomization, rich/poor divides, and broken solidarity30:09 - Culture vs. hollow globalization: what Europe must recover32:44 - “The West doesn’t exist”: NATO, propaganda, and the end of the illusion36:55 - Multipolar world: why the US is a superpower without “civilization” roots45:46 - War, mass psychology, and why “resonance” is the real political force52:32 - Build the future now: why today’s ideas shape post-crisis Europe57:25 - The European Republic: Europe as a big Switzerland (neutral, federal, republican)1:00:07 - Neutrality studies, sovereignty, AI—and what comes after Pax Americana1:02:12 - Day X: you can’t control events, but you can control the vision📍 Follow Enrico:Instagram – @enricomayorTikTok – @enricomayor🎧 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.💬 Drop your takeaway in the comments & don't forget to Like & Subscribe.