Trust and Cohesion in Europe: Lessons from the Delian League

Abstract

The multiple crises observed in the European Union over the past decade have undermined trust and the foundations for cohesion in Europe. In the absence of a common government, confederations without strong common independent institutions are fragile and prone to collapse. Some of the observed weaknesses in Europe today have parallels to the Delian League, a confederation of states formed in Europe in the fifth century BCE. Though initially successful, the Delian League collapsed within a century of its formation, following its transformation from a confederation of equal member states to an empire governed by Athens. Deviations from best policy practice by European institutions and the adoption of policies that appear to favor stronger Member States over weaker Member States similarly risk undermining Europe today.