June 21

9:00 AM - 10:45 AM

2.A.06

Dimitra Panagiotatou

Abstract: The manifestation and escalation of the economic, political and social crises in Europe during the past decade and the implications thereof for the future of the European Union pose questions as to whether European policies are designed, implemented and communicated in a way that allows –at least to some extent- for the creation of positive images about Europe and the promotion of the European identity. With European identity politics gaining recognition in recent decades and leading to novel post-functional theories of European integration developed on grounds of identity-based factors, many would agree on that a shared European identity is a prerequisite for the sustainability of the EU as a political regime. It is in the light of this background context that the paper explores the impact of EU Regional Policy on the enhancement of the European identity in selected European regions, in particular Wales (UK), Silesia (Poland) and Crete (Greece). Bringing together insight from the EU studies and public policy literatures and drawing notably from the discursive institutionalism account, the paper argues that although the mismatch between the coordinative (among policy makers) and the communicative (between political actors and the public) discourse about EU Regional Policy and European identity building obstructed in most cases the attainment of the policy’s ideational objective, the policy has managed to contribute to the enhancement of the regional identity. Empirical data in support of this argument have been provided through qualitative case study research including on-site fieldwork and elite interviewing.

Disciplines: Political Science
Business/Management

Substantive Tags: European Union and Integration, Identity and Ethnicity, Institutions, Political Communication, Public Policy and Administration

Research Networks: None of the Above

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