European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

12.The Meaning of European Identity: Past, Presentor Future ProjectAndrés TornosUniversity Institute for Migration StudiesUniversidad Pontificia Comillas, SpainThis Seminar has focused on the meaning of Europe and on howpractical efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the European Unionclosely depend on the extent to which member State citizens assumetheir condition of EU citizens. In other words, to what extent citizensactually get to feel European, live European and be European, asexpressed at the meeting in Laeken and as Ms Donnarumma hasreminded us.In this perspective, a gradation has been made visible to us withregards to the possible attitudes of member States citizens towardsEuropean institutions:—The attitudes of those who simply know that European institutionsexist, but who see them from the outside, unconcerned abouttheir meaning, adopting purely passive attitudes towards thepolicies promoted by them. This is the predominant attitudeamongst European citizens so far.—The attitudes of those who tend to participate, more or lessactively, in the democratic making and implementation of suchpolicies, but are only interested in the advantages they canobtain for their specific national or group interests. Theseattitudes still seem to be quite widespread amongst economicand political agents linked to sectors such as agriculture, fishing,military equipment, etc.—The attitudes of those who tend to identify themselves asEuropeans and who consequently assume their European socialidentity to a greater or lesser extent, giving this self-identification