The French philosopher Rémi Brague says that the European identity obtains its specific character directly and indirectly from the Christian religion, because Europe was formed through the Christianity . In addition to that, Samuel Huntington utters that religion is the central size for the delimitation of the different culture rooms and serves him for the de-finition of the limits of Europe .
Nevertheless, Wolfgang Burgdorf says that the Christianity is not a reference point for an identity concept because the Islam and the Christianity contains many anti-enlightenment characteristics. Furthermore from a historical point of view, you have to consider flexible, territorial limits of Europe from which you cannot derive any territorial limit of Europe . The present member countries of the EU are in a Christian tradition line. The statement, whether countries, which are in the tradition line of another world religion, cannot be-come a member of the EU, is normative.
The fact that for example Turkey isn't a Christian country isn't a reason to itself yet not to include them in the EU, because the religious freedom of the citizens is guaranteed by the EU and the freedom to be a Muslim is just included, too. The German historian Hans Ul-rich Wehler negates the statement, because from his point of view Turkey isn't a part of Europe concerning the geographical, historical, cultural and religious mentality .
Who decides, whether the Christian values take a role within the EU? Do the Christian values have to be taken into account if you want to define a European identity? Which criteria have to be met regarding the limits of the EU? And how does the discussion show itself at a federal political level? At first, I will discuss these questions before I work out, whether a European identity of the EU expansion sets limits.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. EUROPEAN IDENTITY VS. BORDER OF THE EU
2.1 THE BORDER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
2.2 EUROPEAN IDENTITY – „IMAGINED COMMUNITY“
3. INFLUENCE OF THE RELIGIOUS VALUES ON THE EU EXPANSION
3.1 THE RELIGIOUS WORTH WITHIN THE EU
3.2 THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE EU AND TURKEY
4. POLITICAL DEBATE FOR THE EU-JOINING OF TURKEY
4.1 SPD
4.2 BÜNDNIS 90/ DIE GRÜNEN
4.3 DIE LINKE
4.4 FDP
4.5 CDU/ CSU
5. CONCLUSION
5.1 WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA’S ABOUT A BORDER OF THE EU?
5.2 IS RELIGION AS A CRITERION AN OBSTACLE FOR THE EU ENLARGEMENT?
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines whether a defined European identity imposes limitations on the expansion of the European Union, particularly regarding the potential accession of Turkey. It investigates the interplay between cultural and religious values, political discourse among German political parties, and the definition of Europe's geographic and conceptual borders.
- The concept of European identity and its formation as an "imagined community".
- The influence of Christian values versus secular principles on EU enlargement criteria.
- Analysis of the political debate in Germany concerning Turkey's potential EU membership.
- The role of historical, geographical, and religious perceptions in defining European boundaries.
Excerpt from the book
2.2 European Identity– „Imagined Community“
The European identity is the decisive component of the system of the EU and thus more important than the political and economic component. These ones form the construct of the EU, the identification of every union citizen, however, decides on the durable success with the EU10. An identity develops in the course of the years and is never firm and static because one interacts and communicates with neighbors daily. Moreover, collective identities form because the nature of man induces them to form up into like-minded groups.
Consequently, the community consciousness becomes a foundation of the solution of political problems11. Every man represents several interests and therefore belongs to several groups so that a conflict of interests can arise between different collective identities. Every union citizen can also have a European identity besides his regional and national one. If one of these three areas changes, it will have an influence on the others inevitably. Thus, the European identity is subject to a permanent change12. According to Weidenfeld, a common European identity consists of the three components of history (origin consciousness), the presence and the future (visions)13.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: The chapter sets the stage for the analysis by discussing varying philosophical and historical perspectives on the role of Christianity and religious values in defining the limits of Europe.
2. EUROPEAN IDENTITY VS. BORDER OF THE EU: This section explores the challenges of defining geographical borders and the conceptualization of the EU as an "imagined community" based on values rather than static lines.
3. INFLUENCE OF THE RELIGIOUS VALUES ON THE EU EXPANSION: The chapter analyzes how religious inheritance is treated within constitutional discussions and examines the specific context of Turkey's potential integration.
4. POLITICAL DEBATE FOR THE EU-JOINING OF TURKEY: This part provides a detailed overview of the differing stances held by major German political parties (SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Die Linke, FDP, CDU/CSU) toward Turkey's accession.
5. CONCLUSION: The chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that the EU does not define itself by a single religion and that potential refusal based on religious majorities could lead to the failure of the European project.
Keywords
European identity, EU expansion, Turkey, religious values, political debate, Christian tradition, secularism, imagined community, human rights, democracy, European Union, cultural values, integration, Copenhagen criteria, geopolitics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the relationship between European identity and the enlargement of the EU, specifically questioning if a particular set of values creates boundaries that limit the inclusion of non-Christian nations like Turkey.
Which thematic areas are centrally addressed?
Key themes include the philosophical foundations of European identity, the influence of religious values on integration, and the political discourse within Germany regarding Turkey's candidacy.
What is the primary research question?
The primary aim is to investigate whether a European identity sets actual limits on the expansion of the EU and how religious criteria affect this process.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a qualitative analysis approach, reviewing existing political literature, EU treaties, and the official positions of German political parties to assess how European identity is constructed and applied.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the conceptualization of borders, the "imagined community" theory, the role of religious inheritance, and a comprehensive comparative analysis of German party platforms regarding the Turkey-EU relationship.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Significant keywords include European Identity, EU Expansion, Turkey, Political Debate, Religious Values, and Integration.
How do the major German political parties differ in their view on Turkey?
The paper highlights a spectrum of views: while parties like the SPD, Greens, and Linke generally support membership conditional on reforms, the CDU/CSU rejects full membership, proposing a "privileged partnership" instead.
What is the significance of the "imagined community" concept for the EU?
Based on Benedict Anderson's theory, the paper explains that European identity is a construct built through discourse, values, and shared imagination, rather than physical boundaries or primordial ethnic ties.
What is the conclusion regarding Turkey's integration?
The author concludes that using religion as an exclusionary criterion would contradict the EU's self-perception as a pluralistic, secular value community and could ultimately endanger the broader European project.
- Quote paper
- Udo Wichmann (Author), 2009, A European Identity sets limits to EU Expansion , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/150265
