Reimagining Europe: Envisioning a Durable Model of European Identity

The idea of a common European identity is formed and influenced by many different factors. Orientalism and internal religious and cultural differences have historically been the main pillars on which the concept of Europe was founded. However, these foundations seem outdated within the modern framework, arguably to be seen in recent crises such as the Eurozone crisis, rising nationalist tendencies and a decreasing sense of European solidarity. Therefore, this essay explores the possibility of a reimagination of the European identity in such a way that it can cope better with the challenges modern Europe faces. To this end, the first part of the essay will investigate the historical foundation on which current European identity is based, and the limits this identification has. After which, the essay explores both Charles Taylors concept of the politics of recognition – a communitarian multicultural identity politics – and Francis Fukuyama’s model of a liberal democratic identity...Show moreThe idea of a common European identity is formed and influenced by many different factors. Orientalism and internal religious and cultural differences have historically been the main pillars on which the concept of Europe was founded. However, these foundations seem outdated within the modern framework, arguably to be seen in recent crises such as the Eurozone crisis, rising nationalist tendencies and a decreasing sense of European solidarity. Therefore, this essay explores the possibility of a reimagination of the European identity in such a way that it can cope better with the challenges modern Europe faces. To this end, the first part of the essay will investigate the historical foundation on which current European identity is based, and the limits this identification has. After which, the essay explores both Charles Taylors concept of the politics of recognition – a communitarian multicultural identity politics – and Francis Fukuyama’s model of a liberal democratic identity politics. While a ‘perfect fit’ model to reimagine European identity lays far beyond the scope of this enquiry, the third chapter shall conclude with lessons that can be learned from the Fukuyaman and Tayloresque models to reimagine the European identity.Show less

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Reimagining Europe: Envisioning a Durable Model of European Identity