La cultura del derecho europeo y el multiculturalismo. Desafíos para la democracia en el siglo XXI

The article deals with the legal implications of multiculturalism, in the context of globalization and the “clash of civilizations”. From a European-democratic perspective, we analyze several practical dilemmas – the consequence of a “collision” between diverse normative systems: their respective standards, views of morality, religion, costumes, among others. Confronting many different and, sometimes, competing values – inevitable in pluralistic societies – represents a huge challenge for government authorities and, particularly, lawmakers. The idea of multiculturalism which, until now, has been an inherent element of European legal systems, nowadays faces a serious crisis. In this context, there is an urgent need to implement appropriate policies and laws able to protect diverse cultural groups and to ensure efficient instruments, in order to eliminate the unwanted effects of multiculturalism, such as extremism and terrorism.