Exploring Diversity

According to the article "Who is managing ethnic and cultural diversity in the european condominium? the moments of entry, integration and preservation" of Gabriel Toggernburg talks about how the EU has created a multilevel structure for the management of cultural diversity in order to avoid the discrimination and foster the integration of the minorities in the society. This model states three moments of diversity management, where the EU legal entity and the member states have different levels of responsability and involvement.

The first moment, known as "moment of entry"is related with the rules of entry, free movement and residence within the european territory, "with regard to intra-european mobility this competence has increasingly been transfered to the supranational level. As a result member state borders have lost their functions as the definitive marker of unity and diversity". Meanwhile the rules regarding on the entry and free movement of third- country nationals depending on the member states consideration.

The second stage "the moment of integration"covers a wide set of political and normative measures focused on eliminate the discrimination and foster the integration within the different social fields such as the labour market, the educational system and so on. The aim is to achieve that EU citizens, migrants and minorities could be part of the societies of the member states. The management of this stage is characterized by the close co-operation of the two main actors: The EU and the member state, both entities provide a strong a good structured set of laws to promote this integration .

The third stage "the moment of preservation"is about how certain minority groups are recognized as special groups , and the member state entity grants them their group rights and several forms of cultural and territorial autonomy in order to preserve their identities. The managent of this stage is totally in charge of the member states discretion. 

Question: do you think the entry and integration of new members to the European Union are processes that promote diversity ? or on the contrary, strive to homogenize the European society?

I think the entry and integration of new members in the EU foster and strength the diversity iniciatives that the EU and the member states are undertaking. The aim of the european integration policies is to find "unity into the diversity", so I don't think that the EU tries to homogenize the european society, indeed what the EU pretends is to harmonize the european societies through further elements of cohesion, such as the respect for the diversity, the intolerance against the discrimination and the progressive integration. I agree with the EU statement , where they consider the cultural diverity as a source of social richness.