IS THERE AN EUROPEAN IDENTITY? WHICH EUROPEAN UNION CONSTITUTION?

CIM - November 2005 Clement Serge, FRA Martin Jencik, CZE Gregor Kopriva, SLO Anders Lindahl, SWE Alessandro Valere, ITA

CIM - November 2005 DEFINITION OF “EUROPEAN IDENTITY” European-in this case we will consider the European Union (the 25 countries) Identity - the spirit of this community. The very source of cohesion. What do we share?

CIM - November 2005 TWO POINTS OF VIEW “Não sou nem Ateniense nem Grego, mas sim um cidadão do mundo”- Socrates “No soy Español, pero soy un Basco”-Un basco…

CIM - November 2005 THE POLITICAL DEFINITION The European citizenship - Since Maastricht (1992) Every citizen who is a national of a Member State is also a citizen of the Union This citizenship vests new rights in Europeans

CIM - November 2005 THE SYMBOLS OF EUROPE As a country we have: The flag The European hymn The Euro

CIM - November 2005 WHAT MAKES EU MEMBERS SIMILAR “some common roots” Greek philosophy (way of mind) Roman Empire (presence) Christianity (religion and values) History together (experiences)

CIM - November 2005 Greek philosophy: they first take care about Soul: the human being is the centre of the reality, his essence corresponds with his psyché, therefore with his capacity of want and understand thinking through concept (conceptualization), allowed the technical and scientific development, instead of the primitive way of thinking through images and myths or legends

CIM - November 2005 ROMAN EMPIRE infrastructures ( cities still alive, urban system, aqueducts, roads still used...) ; law as a codified system accepted and shared by everybody, still common in the studies of law all over the continent; language: Latin scattered by Romans through the Europe is the root of many languages.

CIM - November 2005 CHRISTIANITY …the concept of human being, not only as an individual being (one in a mass of people), but as a person with his dignity, precious just because a living being, in relation with other ones in a society; only Christianity has conveyed the absolute value of person.

CIM - November 2005 HISTORY TOGETHER trade migratory flows wars epidemic diseases scientific and technical development

CIM - November 2005 Because of this unique mix only in Europe could born and develop: the occidental way of modern democracy based on law as a codified system accepted and shared by every citizen our common sense of human rights

CIM - November 2005 WHAT MAKES EU MEMBERS DIFFERENT National issues – temperament Political issues – expectations of membership

CIM - November 2005 NATIONAL ISSUES Language Historical experiences Relations to authorities Values

CIM - November 2005 POLITICAL ISSUES Foreign affairs Budget Importance Motives for joining

CIM - November 2005 HOFSTEDE`S SCALE IN EU COUNTRY Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Individualism /Collectivism Masculinity /Feminity Denmark France Germany UK Italy Netherlands Portugal Sweden

CIM - November 2005 EURO-SCEPTICISM Identity based Cleavage based Policy-based Institutionally based National interest-based Experience-based Party-based Atlantic-based Practice-based

CIM - November 2005 CREATING AND FOSTERING EUROPEAN IDENTITY (three basic strategies) to construct a common culturally defined European identity in a similar way as national identities have been constructed supra-national legal system was built a new (embryonic) form of European supranational citizenship has been introduced

CIM - November 2005 THE EU’S CONSTITUTION “the enlarged Union in search of coherence and solidarity” The European Constitution is still a relatively large document and consists of four main parts : Part I; covers the definition and objectives of the Union, fundamental rights and citizenship of the Union, the Union's competences and how they are exercised, its institutions, the democratic life of the Union, the Union's finances, its immediate environment, and membership of the Union. Part II; of the Constitution contains the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Part III; sets out in detail the Union's policy areas and other technical issues, Part IV deals with the Treaty establishing the European Constitution, including arrangements for ratification and future amendments.

CIM - November 2005 People are frightened but… All different but “Unity in diversity” Edy Korthales Altes. In term of identity- “The present identity of the European Union is not robust but rather confusing. It resembles a Picasso Portrait…” Edy Korthales Altes.

CIM - November 2005 WHO FEEL THIS UNITY? Erasmus-We share time together, apartments...We will go back very opened minded. Erasmus is strongly connected to education, coordination, exchanges of ideas, discoveries…

CIM - November 2005 Maybe tomorrow… We need more time, more coordination, more Erasmus, more information… And may be we will present our self as European and no as you usually do.