[Nasional-e] National identities need to adapt and survive

[Ambon]

 National identities need to adapt and survive
  Janez Drnovsek International Herald Tribune Tuesday, October 1, 2002

Europe II

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia In the long term, it is quite possible to imagine that
territorial identities will become increasingly unimportant, and that
individual as well as ever stronger global identities will replace them. One
could certainly consider the momentum toward European integration as one
early example of this trend. However, for the time being territorial
identities are an important fact that forms the world we live in.
.
European integration processes raise the question of the future of national
identities. The topic of identity preservation is especially important for
the countries joining the European Union, many of which were able to fully
realize national identity only after the collapse of the bipolar ideological
system at the beginning of the 1990s. Smaller candidate countries fear that
by entering the EU they will be exposed to uncontrollable processes and lose
their national identities.
.
However, the past experience of EU members shows that small countries have
influence on EU decision-making. National states are the very foundation of
the EU. For reasons of history, the EU will always remain a collection of
different nations - unlike the United States, for example.
.
Any potential conflicts between national identities and a common European
identity can be surpassed by building a common plural European identity -
one that will be inclusive and permit coexistence of national and other
collective identities.
.
The so far rather loose common European identity must not be further
developed in opposition to, or as an alternative to, existing national and
other collective identities, but rather as a surplus or addition to them.
.
Contemporary integration and globalization processes further increase the
need to ensure constructive coexistence for different collective identities.
It is of the utmost importance that we not focus on the differences between
these entities. Armed with tolerance, we should rather seek to emphasize
common values and interests.
.
Two key obstacles in forming a common European identity are the perils posed
by different forms of discrimination and tendencies toward monolithism. The
processes of globalization and integration, which imply ever greater
mobility of populations and fluctuation of economic, political and cultural
patterns, can generate increasing nationalism and xenophobia. A
strengthening of those political forces which advocate closing their
societies to foreigners in some European countries can be understood in this
sense.
.
The negative processes of nationalism - whose tragic consequences were
observed particularly clearly in the former Yugoslavia - can be countered
only by political forces that strive to create a positive, inclusive and
open identity based on tolerance.
.
The existing European identity, no matter how loose it is, will have to be
reformulated within the EU enlargement process to include the unique and
legitimate cultural-historical patterns and experiences of the new members.
Since they are from Central and Eastern Europe, this implies that the EU
will stop being a synonym for Western Europe. Regardless of the
homogenization required by EU integration, prospective members have to have
the possibility of preserving their unique qualities and contributing, on an
equal basis, to the European identity pool.
.
Language is an important element, as national identities are in some ways
embedded in it, and the EU will have to ensure some form of language
equality after the expected enlargement. An additional 10 countries will
increase the number of EU languages to 22.
.
Finally, a common European identity should be built upon the values of
environmental protection and social cohesion. In pursuing the goals of
protecting the global environment and bridging the gap between rich and
poor, Europe should contribute actively to eradicating the negative effects
of globalization while enhancing its unprecedented opportunities.
.
The writer is prime minister of Slovenia. He contributed this comment to the
International Herald Tribune.