A postmodern Union: institutions and identities in Europe

Abstract

The European Union has often been depicted as a postmodern political institution, primarily because it both transcends and erases the traditional boundaries of the modern nation-state. The implications of this conceptualization are far-reaching. For example, what effects might the nature of the EU have on public opinion? How might a postmodernist respond differently to the Union than a modernist? Is the familiar nationalist-Europeanist cleavage asserted by many to be the fundamental division of European identities adequate to explain support for the Union? Using Eurobarometer data I explore these questions about European identities and affect toward EU policies. It appears that two additional- postmodern- identities co-exist alongside the nationalist and the europeanist. These are the dual-identifier and the non-identifier who repeatedly display even more radical europeanist and nationalist tendencies, respectively, than their conventional counterparts. By weighting the votes of the European Council I illustrate that understanding all five European identity types is crucial for decision making in the EU as policymakers attempt to build a qualified majority coalition among the fifteen Member States.