Is a European identity possible and desirable?

Speech by Aline Sierp at the ‘Third Franco-Dutch Seminar on EU questions’

Euroscepticism, nationalism and a desire for disintegration seem to characterize the current state of the European Union. Still, research shows that many people still feel European and have a ‘European identity’. Against this backdrop, Aline Sierp (PCE) was asked by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to speak during the ‘Third Franco-Dutch Seminar on EU questions’ in Paris in December 2018.
The morning of the seminar was dedicated to the presentation and comparison of the results of the various citizens’ consultations that took place in the Netherlands and in France in 2018. The second part of the session was dedicated to the question of how the EU and the Member States can address the main concerns that citizens voiced during the consultations. The three main issues mentioned were ‘Migration’, ‘Climate’ and ‘European Identity’. In this context, Aline explained the concept of a European identity and its different constituent elements to a high-level audience of diplomats and policy makers from both countries. Her presentation sparked a vivid debate on the existence and the desirability of an identification with Europe and the EU. This discussion laid the ground for a follow-up workshop in the afternoon on how to improve citizens’ participation to the European project.