Results of the formation of European union citizenship identity, 1997-2014

Article aims to evaluate the results of the formation of EU citizenship and related civic identity among Europeans. The EU institutions, specifically European Commission paid special attention towards EU identity formation since the Maastricht Treaty introduced the EU citizenship and established the European Union in 1992. Lisbon treaty enforced the concept of the EU citizenship although it did not provide additional powers to supranational institutions, neither it guaranteed application of the European Union Charter of Human Rights. Many critics in Europe argue that the EU develops the concept of ‘minimal state’ according to liberal tradition of low state involvement towards citizen’s affairs and their wellbeing. The constant concerns of democratic deficit in the EU reflects two issues: 1) low citizen’s involvement into the decision-making on the EU level and 2) deterioration of social state in the most developed EU countries under concept of competitive market economy. The European Commission allocated additional funds to promote knowledge regarding rights of EU citizens in 1990s and 2000s and initiated several campaigns. Main concerns from the EU institutions were that EU citizens don’t know well their rights and thus could not effectively use them in everyday life. The EU research agencies performed regularly public opinion polls to monitor the issue of the EU citizenship and the related identity. It is possible to compare results presented in recently published reports on EU citizenship with research literature on this issue and with other statistical data. The analysis of available data demonstrates that for the majority of Europeans EU identity is connected with national identity, which comes first. The majority of Europeans value the benefits that the EU brought about: peace and freedom of movement for people, goods and services, still economic aspects of EU performance were higher appreciated. Citizens from less developed EU countries would like to know more about their rights and the right to work in another EU country. The EU was the mostly positively evaluated by young people who still continue their studies, selfemployed, managers and those, “who never had difficulties paying their bills”. Thus we could conclude that the majority of Europeans perceive the EU according to its original goals: to secure peace among European countries and close economic cooperation. According to public opinion polls, young, educated and entrepreneurs Europeans highly support the EU development, what could be viewed as good base for optimism. At the same time, the growing gap in income within Europe would not disappear at once and this issue needs to be addressed by the EU institutions and by European society at whole.

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