Article discusses the concept of political space and sources of growing attention to this notion in contemporary political science, international and European studies. Authors analyze key dimensions of political space and current transformations of European integration project. Focus of the paper is on morphology and structure of contemporary European political space, main trends of its transformation and reflections of this process in recent European studies.

The article aims to assess the potential for employing the political space notion in the analysis of regional integration and functioning of the European Union, as a political entity. It deals with the feasibility of combining the sociological institutionalism, with its interest towards symbolic representations and geometry of societal power relations, and the concept of multi-level governance, with a typology of political spaces it contains, in the context of the integration theory evolution.

The article analyzes the adding of the fragmentation in the EU political area, in this context member-states hold the different rights and obligations. The present system of the opt-outs and its influence to integration projects are considered. Paper also analyzes application of the enhanced cooperation and its efficiency for advance integration.

The article analyses the development and outcomes of the EU efforts to form a liberalized internal energy market. Particular attention was paid to multilevel system of governance of the energy market and the balance between network and hierarchical forms of governance. The research concludes that the legislative and regulatory regime is still rather heterogeneous and cannot provide the desirable level of competition. The shortages of energy infrastructure prevent the merger of national energy markets of EU member states. The paper reveals factors that impede further liberalization of the market.

The article is devoted to the transformation of the EU Area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ), which was established by the Amsterdam Treaty. Four stages of the AFSJ evolution are displayed, while emphasizing importance and controversies of the contemporary stage. The concept of the AFSJ as both a political and territorial space is analysed. Two case-studies, which illustrate the AFSJ’s transformation are demonstrated: the «Schengen package» debate and the Commission’s proposal on the European Prosecutor Office.

The article puts and explores a question about the actors of the European political space, if this space has the only one strategic actor or it may be considered as multi-actor. Taking into account the primary role of the national elites in building of the European space and in institutional consolidation of the transnational spatial connections, it is impossible not to consider growing importance of the subnational, especially regional, elites not only at the national, but also at the European level in three ultimate decades. Direct and mediated interaction of the subnational regions with the European institutions, creation and strengthening of new ties of spatial organization, vertical, horizontal and of another configuration, facilitate finding of new qualitative features by the European space. However it’s difficult to tell about some special regional level of governance in the European Union. Depending on concrete circumstances the subnational elites can became a component part of the national elites and thereby acquire a quality of the EU political space strategic actor or may enter in open confrontation with them, advancing separatist claims in certain cases, which implies risks of European political space fragmentation.

The article is devoted to modern methods of symbolization of political processes in the European space. It discusses key national myths and brands that are used in political life in different European countries.

The article discusses the role of Croatia in the development of international dialogue in the Western Balkans. Also, the author analyzes the foreign policy of Croatia on promotion of European integration processes in the region. Much attention in the study of this issue is paid to discussion of personal activities of the Croatian President Ivo Josipović and of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vesna Pusić.

The approaches to the interpretation of the term «deficit of the democracy» are analyzed in this article. This term takes place in the modern European discourse of the integration. The conclusion is drawn that in the first approach «deficit of the democracy» is linked with the problem of the legitimacy of decisions, taking by the «All-European center». Second approach shows that this term is connected with a number of distortions, to which democratic form of government in the developed democracies is subjected.

The article is devoted to the EU politics of memory, shows its methods, achievements and contradictions at the present stage. It discusses main narratives of European politics of memory, the concept of the House of European History, through the prism of their assemblage characteristics.

This paper lays out an analysis about German School of Geopolitics. Pointing out its main concepts and theories, plus criticizing its fault of scientific methodology, the relevant aspect of this study is to present a perspective, in which some concepts and theories from Classical Geopolitics may have even nowadays relevance, in case of properly framed with scientific methods. The study is essentially qualitative, applying single case study, focusing on the contribution of Friedrich Ratzel, Rudolf Kjellén, Karl Haushofer, plus Jaume Vicens Vives; addressing to the relations among German School of Geopolitics and Nazi Germany, but also mentioning accurate prescriptions from German School of Geopolitics in terms of foreign policy.

The eastern part of the EU is coming through a process of self-organization of its member-states aimed at joining their efforts in order to promote the respective national policies’ interests within EU and beyond. The article focuses on the following main cooperation areas: establishing single regional energy market, diversification of sources and routes of fossil fuel supplies, promoting nuclear energy, developing renewable energy sources.

The article considers governance in European Union as constantly changing and improving system of interactions between different actors and levels of governance. While analyzing current publications on the subject, the author demonstrates the main directions of multi-level governance’s evolution which are linked to the latest major events in the life of EU.

The article analyzes the role of the renewable energy in the integration of the European Union and outcomes of the European law harmonization in this sphere. These processes are examined in the context of policy convergence theory and its mechanisms.