Confronting European Society with the Everyday

Abstract Ben Judah’s This is Europe brings into view the everyday lives lived in Europe today, often marked by inequalities, exclusion and alienation. It therefore forms a useful starting point from which to reflect on the emerging ‘European society’ discourse in the EU legal discipline. Presenting EU law as being grounded in a society founded on shared values, EU institutions and scholars legitimise far-reaching legal and political innovations, but do not account for the plurality of values and lived experiences on the ground. By taking these as a starting point, This is Europe offers a means to think about the role of EU law and legal scholarship unaffected by an institutional gaze.