Posted: Jul 25, 2008, 4:40 AM CST
DarkDreamer2005 wrote: I am not sure that nationalism and European Identity have to fight each other, that is why I posed it as a question. I agree that nationalism and national identity can be seen as separate things, ts just that many people do not see it as separate. Identities are in my view, all constructed and reinforced by public opinion, but they can always be contested...
I don't agree that Nationalism is something that is confined to central and Eastern Europe or the fringes, it is on the rise. Now whether people think this is a good thing or not, is up for debate...:)
National identities and nationalism are definitely separate, especially if viewed under a political spectrum. The EU is an economic union and needs a political arm so to serve this specific function. If for some reason the EU,which means the representatives of the respective member-states would ever decide
to undermine their own power and authority by allowing a super-institution to substitute them then you'd have powers within the member countries that would use national identity as a political stronghold. But there's no reason for such a thing to happen and I know of no politician that would abdicate from power
Nationalism has a growing momentum in Eastern & Central Europe because regimes have fallen, countries were separated to their ingredient nations etc. I suppose it's a necessary part, something like a "raison d'etre" for those countries to stand, even to the minds of their own citizens. But evolution is everywhere - even in politics
and they'll go forward when this "identity" need will be covered. As for the "West", I think we've seen some of it come and pass by (remember the "Republikaner"?) and those people will always have their marginal participation in the political field. They never carried a coherent political proposal anyway and even if they take a small step up (usually from social unrest, that is to come) they won't be able to keep it.
Can fervent nationalism coexist with a European meta-identity? : click here to read the entire thread »