Introduction: colonial histories and the postcolonial present of European cosmopolitanism

As the post-war European project of union – whether ever-closer, or not – approaches its sixtieth anniversary, the continent is beset by the twin issues of austerity and migration. Since 2008, the financial crash and the related politics of austerity have enveloped both individual countries and the EU as a whole as it has sought to address the growing tension between its commitment to democratic values and the perceived need for a response that maintains the technical infrastructure of the Eurozone. This has been most evident in the response to the situation in Greece (although similar issues have arisen in Portugal and Spain and also in Ireland). Migration, intersecting with the politics of austerity in many ways, has become the other defining issue of our times, especially, once again, in its vivid manifestation in Greece as surrounding countries put up fences to restrict the movement of people.