Kahn’s EU Essay Highlighted in Le Monde’s New Book Selection
Updated (2 articles)
New Essay Analyzes EU’s Emerging Statehood Sylvain Kahn, a historian‑geographer at Sciences Po, published L’Europe : un Etat qui s’ignore on 4 Feb 2026, arguing that the European Union has accumulated a distinct set of sovereign powers over sixty‑five years of integration [2]. He introduces the term “étaticité” to bundle all debates about the bloc’s political nature, describing the EU as a “quasi‑state” that lacks a clear national identity [2][1]. The book traces institutional milestones from 1975 onward, positioning the EU as an unprecedented political formation rather than a temporary arrangement [2].
Geopolitical Context Amplifies Essay’s Urgency The review links the book’s relevance to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the unexpected re‑election of Donald Trump, both of which raise questions about the EU’s durability [2]. Le Monde des livres presents Kahn’s essay as a “lumineux” and timely read, urging readers to rely on academic analysis during these turbulent moments [1]. The column’s placement of the essay alongside fiction and cultural works underscores its perceived importance for public debate amid current crises [1].
Reception Highlights Scholarly Value and Cultural Placement Florent Georgesco praised the essay as a “lumineuse et utile mise à jour,” noting its meticulous conceptual and historical analysis [2]. In the Thursday book selection, the essay is featured as one of five diverse titles, sharing space with André Dumas’s revived 1922 novel Ma petite Yvette and Sandro Veronesi’s new novel Septembre noir [1]. The inclusion signals both critical acclaim and a strategic effort to bring scholarly discourse on EU statehood to a broader readership [1].
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Le Monde:Sylvain Kahn’s New Essay Frames the EU as an Emerging State: Reviews Kahn’s February 4 release, explains the “étaticité” concept, ties the analysis to the Ukraine war and Trump’s re‑election, and lauds the work as a vital scholarly update .
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Le Monde des livres:Le Monde des livres picks five titles, spotlighting EU essay: Lists five books for the week, emphasizes Kahn’s essay as urgent reading amid crises, and provides brief overviews of the other four titles .
Timeline
1922 – André Dumas publishes the sentimental novel Ma petite Yvette, which later resurfaces in a 2026 Le Monde des livres column after decades of neglect, illustrating the revival of forgotten literary works. [1]
1957 – The signing of the Treaty of Rome creates the European Economic Community, launching the 65‑year integration trajectory that Sylvain Kahn later traces in his essay. [2]
1972 – The summer of 1972 provides the setting for Sandro Veronesi’s novel Septembre noir, later highlighted in the 2026 selection as a cultural lens on recent history. [1]
1975 – Debates over the EU’s political nature intensify, a discourse that Kahn later bundles under the term “étaticité” to capture the bloc’s ambiguous state‑like attributes. [2]
2022 – Russia’s war on Ukraine erupts, creating geopolitical pressure on the EU and underscoring the urgency of Kahn’s analysis of European durability. [2]
2024 – Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election, a development Kahn’s reviewer links to renewed doubts about the EU’s future stability. [2]
Feb 4, 2026 – Sylvain Kahn releases the essay L’Europe : un Etat qui s’ignore, arguing that the EU has gradually acquired unprecedented sovereignty and coining “étaticité” to describe its quasi‑state status. [2]
Feb 4, 2026 – Florent Georgesco reviews Kahn’s work in Le Monde, calling it a “lumineuse et utile mise à jour” and urging readers to trust academic analysis amid current crises. [2]
Feb 5, 2026 – Le Monde des livres features Kahn’s essay among five titles, describing it as “urgent reading amid crisis” and emphasizing its framing of the EU as an “unrecognised state.” [1]