Publisher's Synopsis
An examination of the complexity of the notion of European identity, stressing the differences between cultural traditions on the one hand and economic and political influences on the other. It contrasts European identity with national identity, and shows how Europe's goal of "ever closer union" is widely understood as a modernization project. It is in this context, it is argued, that the issues of identity and citizenship become salient. For unless fuller public participation can be achieved, by means of a heightened sense of European identity and citizenship, the European enterprise will not obtain the legitimacy that it requires.
