Pan-European identity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this article may need to be rewritten. Please help improve this article. The discussion page may contain suggestions.

Pan-European identity refers to both the sense of personal identification with Europe, and to the identity possessed by 'Europe' as a whole. 'Europe' is widely used as a synonym for the European Union even though there are millions of people living on the European continent in non-EU states. The prefix pan implies that the identity applies throughout Europe, and especially in an EU context, 'pan-European' is often contrasted with national.

Historically, European culture has not led to a geopolitical unit, in the way that national cultures influenced the creation of nation-states. At present, European integration co-exists with national loyalties and national patriotism^[1] - as evidenced by the Eurostat Eurobarometer surveys on European identity and pride. According to the Eurobarometer survey 2005, 10% of EU citizens identified as being European first while 42% identified with their nationality first and then as a European. Overall 52% of EU25 respondents identified as being European additionally to identifying with their country. Thus one can conclude that while nationality remains the primary source of geo-political identification across Europe, a majority, 60%, feel an attachement to Europe.^[2]

While the majority of EU25 citizens express hope (42%) or trust (22%) in the European Union, there is a large minority of what could be called eurosceptics who feel distrust (20%) or rejection (5%), a sizeable number (20%) being indifferent. "^[2] A 2007 poll found that 44% of adults in the five biggest EU countries thought that life had got worse since their country joined the EU, though majorities in most of the five countries would like to see the EU be more, rather than less active.^[3] The 1999 Eurobarometer surveys show that 4% in the EU feel exclusively European whereas 48% combine feeling European with their national identity, with variations between the member states.^[4] The European Union has made some attempts to increase identification with 'Europe' (meaning the EU itself), and has introduced some European symbols.

Contents 1 Hopes of a European patriotism 2 'Europe' seen from outside 2.1 American views 2.2 Reactions in the Middle East 3 Idea of 'Europe' 4 Pan-Europeanism 5 Popular culture 5.1 Sport 6 European symbols 6.1 .EU domain name 7 European army and Police 8 Books 9 See also 10 References

[edit] Hopes of a European patriotism

Since the EU is not a nation, a patriotism comparable to that of nation-states is not to be expected. Some people see that as an advantage, since it would allow for a 'constitutional patriotism' (Jürgen Habermas) directed toward the EU.^[5]

However in the early post-World War II period, and in the 1950s, there were those who believed that 'Europe' could develop a patriotism of its own. At the time the memory of Nazi propaganda with its emphasis on loyalty to Volk was still strong, and a European patriotism was seen primarily as a counter to national aggression. Two post-war speeches by Winston Churchill illustrate the views of the time:

Why should there not be a European Group which could give a sense of enlarged patriotism?

—Winston Churchill in Zürich, 19 September 1946

We hope to see a Europe where men of every country will think as much of being a European as of belonging to their native land, and that without losing any of their love and loyalty of their birthplace. We hope wherever they go in this wide domain, to which we set no limits in the European Continent, they will truly feel 'Here I am at home. I am a citizen of this country too.

—Winston Churchill in Amsterdam, 9 May 1948

[edit] 'Europe' seen from outside

The definition of 'Europe' in both a geographical and cultural sense has always been debated, especially among Europeans themselves.

[edit] American views

The way the United States looks at Europe is changing. The CIA World Factbook European Union Preliminary Statement as of 23 January, 2007 states that:

The evolution of the European Union (EU) from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's supranational organization of 27 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe. On a few occasions even country-level unions were arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples - but for such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is truly unique. Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency, as well as an incipient common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other nations. In the future, many of these nation-like characteristics are likely to be expanded. Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook. However, because of the EU's special status, this description is placed after the regular country entries.

—^[6]

[edit] Reactions in the Middle East

An example of perception of 'Europe' as a unit came during the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades raided the European Union offices in Gaza, demanding apologies from Denmark and Norway.^[7]. The protesting Palestinians evidently saw the cartoons as a 'European issue', more so than people in Europe itself, although the EU did ultimately issue a statement on the controversy. This is also ignorant of the fact that Norway is not part of the European Union.

[edit] Idea of 'Europe'

Main articles: Pre-1945 ideas on European unity and History of the European Union

A sense of European identity traditionally derives from the idea of a common European historical narrative. In turn, that is assumed to be the source of the most fundamental European values. Typically the 'common history' includes a combination of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the feudalism of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, 19th Century Liberalism, Christianity, secularism and (sometimes) negative elements such as colonialism and the World Wars. Although supporters of European integration often appeal to the 'common heritage', notably in discussions on the European Constitution, its exact nature is disputed. It does not create a uniform perspective on politics and current affairs: Europeans continue to disagree with each other, as they have done for thousands of years.

Note that the European heritage and values, in this typical form, is very similar to the supposed common history and heritage of the Western World. Countries with a European-immigrant majority can equally claim it, and secular conservatives in the United States emphasise it strongly. Maurits van der Veen comments:^[8]

Some have argued that there is a shared European history and culture that all European share and whose particular contents and facts — from Charlemagne to Erasmus, from Napoleon to Hitler, from Dante to Shakespeare, etc. — help provide a shared consciousness. Of course, one may question to what degree this culture marks us as European rather than Western: more Australians and Americans probably read Shakespeare than do Germans or Italians, for example.

The 'common heritage' also includes some controversial elements, above all Christianity. The European Convention rejected inclusion of a reference in the proposed European Constitution to Christianity and/or God. The text finally adopted in the Preamble reads:

DRAWING INSPIRATION from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law,...

This compromise text has not satisfied those who want to see European identity defined as Christian, and Christian values included in the European Constitution. German chancellor Angela Merkel reopened the issue in August 2006, supporting the campaign of Pope Benedict XVI to include reference to a specifically Christian heritage.^[9] In his controversial speech at Regensburg in September 2006, Pope Benedict emphasised both the European nature of Christianity, and the Christian nature of Europe:

... it is not surprising that Christianity, despite its origins and some significant developments in the East, finally took on its historically decisive character in Europe. We can also express this the other way around: this convergence, with the subsequent addition of the Roman heritage, created Europe and remains the foundation of what can rightly be called Europe.

—^[10]

The European Christian Political Movement, an alliance of Christian parties, calls for specific values specified in the Declaration of Lakitelek^[11] to be adopted as European values. The discussion has important consequences for the accession of Turkey to the European Union.^[12]

[edit] Pan-Europeanism

Pan-Europeanism refers several ideologies, but in general to a normative belief in some form of European geopolitical, cultural, ethnic or racial entity. Pan-Europeanism may imply political action on the basis of common traits recognized in European people, countries and cultures, and on the basis of intimate intra-European international relations - their inclusion in the European Constitution, for instance.

In the strict sense, pan-Europeanism is a form of pan-nationalism seeking to promote some form of European unity, in some cases implying the constitution of a European state or geopolitical entity of sorts. Early pan-Europeanist organisations, such as the early International Paneuropean Union, competed with other pan-nationalist ideals such as pan-Germanism. After the Second World War, the European Economic Community and its successor the European Union came to be seen as the only path to European integration, and other pan-Europeanist ideas were marginalised.

Recently, the term pan-European has been used within the European Union, to designate activities at EU, rather than national, level. The 2009 European elections, for instance are only open to pan-European political parties, although most of them are alliances of existing national parties.

[edit] Popular culture

The common cultural heritage is commonly seen in terms of high culture. Examples of a contemporary pan-European culture are limited to some forms of popular culture:

The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the oldest identifiably 'pan-European' elements in popular culture.^[13] The contest is not run by the EU, but by European Broadcasting Union, and in fact it pre-dates the European Economic Community. It is also open to some non-European countries which are members of the EBU. Although it attracts a huge audience (hundreds of millions) and extensive media coverage, it is widely regarded as kitsch,^[14]. Some eastern European politicians occasionally take the contest more seriously, seeing the participation of their country as a sign of 'belonging to Europe', and some even going so far to say to consider it a preliminary step to accession to the EU.^[15]

Deliberate attempts to use popular culture to promote identification with the EU have been controversial. In 1997, the European Commission distributed a comic strip titled The Raspberry Ice Cream War, aimed at children in schools. The EU office in London declined to distribute this in the UK, due to an expected unsympathetic reception for such views. [18] [19]

[edit] Sport

Almost all sport in Europe is organised on either a national or sub-national basis. 'European teams' are rare, one example being the Ryder Cup, a Europe vs. United States golf tournament. There have been proposals to create a European Olympic Team, which would break with the existing organisation through National Olympic Committees.^[16] Former European Commission President Romano Prodi suggested that EU teams should carry the EU flag, alongside the national flag, at the 2008 Summer Olympics — a proposal which angered eurosceptics.^{[citation needed]} According to Eurobarometer surveys, only 5% of respondents think that a European Olympic team would make them feel more of a 'European citizen'.^[17]

National teams participate in international competitions, organised by international sport federations, which often have a European section. That results in a hierarchic system of sporting events: national, European, and global. In some cases, the competition has a more 'pan-European' character. Football - Europe's most popular sport - is organised globally by the FIFA, and in Europe by the UEFA. Alongside the traditional national/international organisation, direct competition between major teams at pan-European level has become more important. (High national ranking is necessary to enter the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup). Super-clubs such as Liverpool FC, Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Arsenal FC, FC Bayern, AC Milan and Real Madrid are known all over Europe, and are seen as each others competitors, in UEFA's European tournaments. (Major clubs are now large businesses in themselves, and have expanded beyond the national sponsoring market).

[edit] European symbols

Main article: European symbols

The European continent does not have any universally recognized pan-European symbols, yet the European Union and the Council of Europe provides Europe as such with the basic symbols that most nation-states bear. Such symbols are:

• A flag, the European flag - a symbol for most of Europe, being sponsored by the Council of Europe (and subsequently adopted by the EU),
• An anthem, Ode to Joy - as for the flag, this is a symbol for all Council of Europe members and also all EU member states,
• A "national day", Europe day (9th May) - as for the flag and the anthem,
• A single currency, the euro - the euro has been adopted by some countries outside of the EU, but not by all EU member states in the bloc. Currently, 15 of 27 member states have adopted the Euro as their official currency.

[edit] .EU domain name

The .eu domain name extension was introduced in 2005 as a new symbol of European Union identity on the world wide web. The .eu domain's introduction campaign specifically uses the tagline "Your European Identity" . Registrants must be located within the European Union.

[edit] European army and Police

In nation-states the national armed forces serve both as a unifying factor in themselves, and as a focus of patriotism. This factor is absent in the EU: most member states are members of a military alliance, the NATO, which is not 'European' but Atlantic in character. Because of concerns about national sovereignty, there is no pan-European army, no EU policy to create one, and no prospect of one in the immediate or medium-term future.

For similar reasons, the European criminal intelligence agency Europol (established July 1999) is not a European Police and is not intended to become one. Although it is sometimes described as the 'European FBI', it has no investigatory powers of its own, and works through national police forces. (The FBI investigates federal crimes in the United States, and since there is no 'European criminal law' there is no comparable investigatory role). However, there exists the European Arrest Warrant, which does have legal force. An EAW issued, for eligible crimes, by one member immediately gives grounds for arrest and subsequent extradition from another state.

[edit] Books

• 2004, The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, Jeremy Rifkin, ISBN 1-58542-345-9
• 2004, The United States Of Europe: The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy,T.R. Reid, ISBN 1-59420-033-5

[edit] See also

• Pre-1945 ideas on European unity
• Federal Europe
• Pro-European
• Europeanism
• European symbols
• Euroscepticism
• Pan-Europeanism

[edit] References