The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between center and periphery, within a sociological tradition that includes authors such as Max Weber and Stein Rokkan.The value of Europe is best perceived along its borders.The light shines strongest in the point of its source, but it is more appreciated to the point of its limit, where darkness and brightness compete for space -and even for life.Southern and eastern European societies are crucial to understand the origins and future of all of Europe.This article aims to explore the reasons for the EU's eminence, which can be maximized rather than minimized.