Essay
NICE Essay: European Identity
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Essay on the necessity for a European identity written for the course Nation & Identity in con. Europe
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IntroductionIs the creation of the European Union perceived as an unfavourable experiment of a global desire
to bypass a new world war? The anticipated attempt by European leaders to shape a homogeneous
front that has the ability to hold its own between the antagonism of the USSR and the United States
can be debated as a desperate approach by some Europeans. Therefore, it can be argued that it lacks
legitimacy and endured a prevalent identity. Yet, what is perceived as a common identity and is
there a necessity to establish a European identity? The information presented in this essay will
answer these questions by analysing if the absence of a European identity forms a critical aspect to
further European integration. Firstly, the interests of the citizens of Europe will be researched and
to what extent they feel European, which will form a base to understand Euroscepticism.
Furthermore, the absence of a common language will be explored in the terms of a language
deficiency. Lastly, the European integration process will be analysed from an intergovernmentalist
approach. The intergovernmentalist approach looks at the European integration movement as a
process in which nation-states solely delegate powers to the European Union. In this essay, the
definition of integration will be used as defined by Haas (1961), a shift towards loyalty,
expectations and activity to a larger centre from the political actors.
The Changing Face of European Identity
The necessity for a European identity initiated room for debate around the European integration
process. The Maastricht Treaty (1991) established a new legal aspect to the integration process
referred to as the European Citizenship. With the establishment of the Maastricht Treaty they:
‘‘(…) recall the historic importance of the ending of the division of the European continent and the
need to create firm bases for the construction of the future Europe (…) deepen the solidarity
between peoples while respecting their history, their culture and their traditions (…) establish a
citizenship common to nationals of their countries’’ (The Maastricht Treaty 1991, p.3, p.4). These
aspects were initiated to achieve a common identity, which would later raise the question of a
European identity. The amount of personal and collective interest is of mutual importance to the
feeling of belonging in order to bind a large community. Identity is about the feeling of being a
member of a political or cultural community (Kohli, 2010, p. 122). Numerous citizens of Europe
have shared interests with regards to a less integrated Europe. As an example, this group of
European citizens can be understood as the lower educated. Contemporary to expectations, from
the group of higher educated European citizens (28%) only a small group believes in a completely
integrated Europe. However, most national parties will not support these beliefs. The citizens of
Europe that are lower educated are more inclined to be Eurosceptic compared to their higher
educated group of counterparts. The European Union has transformed itself from a mere
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