Erasmus Medal Lecture 2019, AE GM Barcelona. Re-imagining the Nation: Memory, Identity and the Emotions (original) (raw)
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European Integration, Nationalism and European Identityj cms_2230 106..123
Early theorists of European integration speculated that economic integration would lead to political integration and a European identity. A European identity has not displaced national identities in the EU, but, for a significant share of EU citizens, a European identity exists alongside a national identity. At the same time, political parties asserting more traditional nationalist identities and policies have directed their dissatisfaction against immigrants, foreigners and, sometimes , the EU. Those who participate in 'Europe' are more likely to develop a European identity, while those whose economic and social horizons are essentially local are more likely to assert nationalist identities. It is argued in this article that the issue of European and national identity plays a heightened role in European politics, particularly in the economic crisis of 2007–2011. The resolution of that crisis, which may result in increased European political cooperation , will have to take into account highly salient national identities that have so far resisted such cooperation .
European Integration, Nationalism and European Identityj cms_2230 106..122
Early theorists of European integration speculated that economic integration would lead to political integration and a European identity. A European identity has not displaced national identities in the EU, but, for a significant share of EU citizens, a European identity exists alongside a national identity. At the same time, political parties asserting more traditional nationalist identities and policies have directed their dissatisfaction against immigrants, foreigners and, sometimes , the EU. Those who participate in 'Europe' are more likely to develop a European identity, while those whose economic and social horizons are essentially local are more likely to assert nationalist identities. It is argued in this article that the issue of European and national identity plays a heightened role in European politics, particularly in the economic crisis of 2007–11. The resolution of that crisis, which may result in increased European political cooperation , will have to take into account highly salient national identities that have so far resisted such cooperation .
European Integration, Nationalism, and European Identity
Early theorists of European integration speculated that economic integration would lead to political integration and a European identity. A European identity has not displaced national identities in the EU, but, for a significant share of EU citizens, a European identity exists alongside a national identity. At the same time, political parties asserting more traditional nationalist identities and policies have directed their dissatisfaction against immigrants, foreigners and, sometimes, the EU. Those who participate in 'Europe' are more likely to develop a European identity, while those whose economic and social horizons are essentially local are more likely to assert nationalist identities. It is argued in this article that the issue of European and national identity plays a heightened role in European politics, particularly in the economic crisis of 2007-11. The resolution of that crisis, which may result in increased European political co-operation, will have to take into account highly salient national identities that have so far resisted such co-operation.
Right-wing and far right-wing parties are growing stronger in Europe in the past years. With Austria, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Switzerland, France, Germany and Britain ahead of the list - Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Cyprus are not far back on the same track (Aisch & Pearce, 2016; BBC, 2016). The main concern for this research is to identify the causality of rising nationalism in Europe. This great endeavour divides the effort into two parts. Over the first part, the reader will find a historical approach to the origins of liberal democracy and the nation-state, in order to understand where nationalism comes from. To do this, the structuralist and slightly constructivist method of ‘discourse analysis’ is used to separate liberalism from democracy. The finding is a marvellous construction of Marxist core principles embedded in liberal democracy and building the sediments for the nationalistic proneness of Europe. These findings are to be used as a methodology for the second part. In order to advance to the empirical part of the paper, a second methodology is presented to find nationalism in the centre of a mega social policy endeavour crisscrossing borders by bringing together domestic and international high politics. This is achieved by securitising immigration with the Copenhagen School’s securitisation theory. Immigration is thereon taken as a national security issue which finds its origins immediately after the Second World War. With the creation of the UN and its sister organisations, a web of international immigration containment through international development policies is understood. On the domestic side multiculturalism and outlawing of the foreigner is studied. By the final section of this work. Nationalism is explained on one side, through a fear of citizens to lose protection of the welfare democracy and on the other side it is governments who fear the loss of sovereignty. Two core elements that sustain liberal democracies. Immigration threatens both, making it a matter of high national and international politics. The European analysis will be narrowed down to the study of Germany, Britain and France as case studies. Although data for further countries in the Scandinavian region and in the South of Europe has been prepared, it was not included in this paper for reasons of space limit. In the conclusions, a broader analysis about the situation of nationalism in Europe and the causes of it will be made. Further studies are, nevertheless, required to make a full understanding of the current situation.
EU identity system: prospects for the transition to post-nationalism
In the current paper the concept of the European identity is studied from the perspective of the post-national theory. During the research, the traditional "supranational" approach to the development of the EU is being revised. The author analyzes the development of the European identity as one of the key-elements of European integration, in addition thoroughly examines such aspects as formation mechanisms, challenges and prospects. Special attention is paid to the study of opportunities for the development of the European identity on the basis of post-nationalism and as a result transformation of the EU in the truly post-national community. The research methodology includes a qualitatively new approach to the study of the identity of the individual as a system. Systems approach to the study of identity allows a new look at the identification of an individual and citizen, also contributes to a deeper understanding of its structure, which in turn helps to find qualitatively new approaches to the study of the formation of identity. The main conclusions of the conducted research consist in the fact that we can state an overloading of EU citizens with necessity of numerous identifications, which neatly enshrined and described within the framework of the presented identity system. In addition, the paper provides a clear structural description of the construction of the national identity at different levels coupled with conclusions on peculiarities of interaction between the various components and elements of the identity system. On the grounds of this we can make predictions regarding the development of the European Union institution and integration processes in Europe.
Migration and the Reassertion of National Identity in Europe
2019
ABSTRACT:<strong> </strong>Identity and migration are often seen as descriptive concepts of dissentive qualities involving static, perene aspects versus dynamism and change. However, the opposite can be argued when looking at identity as a flowing, organically changing notion in contrast to a rigid and inflexible migration concept.<strong> </strong>This article highlights the points of intersectionality between national and European identity and analyzes the impact of the recent migration waves to Europe on the process of identity formation within the European Union.<br> KEY WORDS:<strong> </strong>identity, nationalism, migration, European Union
National identities and European integration “from below”: Bringing people back in
Journal of European Integration, 1994
Let it be noted that this underlying agenda often imposes such restraints on investigations carried out in this vein that they are unable to fulfill even their inherent functional objectives: to predict outcomes and aid decision making processes. See Sidney Tarrow's remark below. •Particularly, the initial Danish rejection of the Maastricht Treaty in June 1992 worked as a catalyst for realizations of this nature. For an illuminating recording-as well as a symptom-of the reorientations of perspective and discourse that the "NO" vote gave rise to, see:
The Janus Face of Nationalism in the European Union
“Collective memory and International Relations” Conference Proceedings, 2013
The unprecedented growth of the modern state has been deeply connected with nationalism understood as the idea that a specific territory should be composed of people sharing a distinct history, language or culture: In the period which can roughly be demarcated as ranging from the Peace of Westphalia until the two world wars, this was the main generally agreed-upon concept which provided the basis for a seemingly unlimited growth of the public sector and the regulation of aspects hitherto seen as outside the ambit of the state at the expense of individual liberties and the regional and municipal administration. Beginning with the formation of the European Union, however, there has been a substantial attempt at transforming the meaning and impact of nationalism. Instead of being an essentially modern, progressive concept, it is often portrayed as backward, an obstacle in the path towards further integration and the fulfillment of peace and improved living standards. In other words, the tide has turned, the nation-state has itself be-come the smaller unit it used to fight against in earlier times. At the same time, however, the arguments and the general attitude in favour of further integration in the EU clearly resemble those that were asserted during the rise of the nation-state. Thus, it seems that history is substantially repeating itself as the transmission of powers has only been taken to the next level with the EU simply having replaced the old nation-state.
European Integration and the Nationalist Revival
Is the rising of new nationalisms and populist parties in Europe a reaction to the project of integrating all the member-states in a common entity, where the idea of Nation will fade away? The main object of this paper is the relationship between the European project and the nation-state crisis in Europe. Therefore, the processes of nation-state construction are analysed, focusing on those that have failed or will tend to fail. It also seeks to explain why several political entities that are ethnically, culturally and socially homogeneous cannot become viable as a state, as is the case with some examples in Europe. Thus, on the one hand, it offers clues to the relationship between the development of the European integration project and the fading of the concept of nation-state, which is taking place within Europe. On the other hand, it argues that there is a relationship between this European project and the rise of new nationalisms and of political populism. The methodological approach will be based on the analysis of the recent authors that have been discussing the concept of nation and nationality, and the study of the phenomena of the rise of new nationalisms and populist parties in Europe. The discourse analysis methodology will be used to ascertain if the leaders of the populist parties are using the fear of the disappearance of a nation to fight the European project.