The European Union, United Kingdom and common European identity

Khakhalkina's article addresses the issue of a common European identity and whether the term can be used as a synonym for a European Union identity. To answer this question the author refers to the experience of Great Britain, which is known for its "special position" in the European Union since joining the European Community in 1973. Khakhalkina draws upon a great deal of theoretical literature on the concept of identity and its collective manifestation at the EU level. She finds that in recent years the terms "common European identity" and "EU identity" have often been separated. The former is too broad and complex to be used meaningfully, whereas the latter refers directly to the efforts of the European Commission to build and strengthen the collective consciousness at the level of the EU and is therefore preferred. With specific reference to British identity within the EU, the author stresses that the British are the least integrated of all European countries, which she believes may be a consequence of their imperial past and migration flows between their former dependencies. Drawing on the theoretical material and the British case study, Khakhalkina concludes that the nature of EU identity is in fact "mobile" and there is an absence of wider European identity.

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