Anti-radicalization efforts within the European Union : Spain and Denmark

Abstract

Since 11 September 2001, the specter of Islamic terrorism has become of increasing concern. The 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings, the 7 July 2005 London subway bombings, and the 20 June 2007 Glasgow Airport attack brought home the threat of Islamic terrorism to the European Union (EU). In order to deal with this newly recognized threat, the European Union and its member states have taken different approaches to deal with the problem. Overall, the EU has turned away from traditional counter-terrorism efforts, which tend to be reactive, toward the prevention of the radicalization that may lead to Islamic terrorism. But these anti-radicalization efforts are not coordinated and the lack of a common anti-radicalization strategy may be hindering its efforts. This lack of coordination is best illustrated by the differing approaches taken by Spain and Denmark. Spain and Denmark's efforts may represent of two potential paths for the future of the EU. The EU can continue protecting existing national identities and multiculturalism or it can forge a common European identity.