How is the European integration debate changing in post-communist states ?

To many citizens in post-communist states European Union (EU) membership represented a historical–civilisational choice: an end to the Cold War division of Europe and symbolic reuniting of Eastern Europe with a ‘West’ that they had always considered themselves to be part of culturally and spirituall...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European political science 2021-06, Vol.20 (2), p.254-260
Main Author: Szczerbiak, Aleks
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accession
Agricultural subsidies
Cold War
Communism
Communist societies
Comparative Politics
Cost benefit analysis
Crises
Debate
Debates
Discourses
Distinctiveness
EU membership
European integration
Euroscepticism
Foreign policy
Labor market
Migration
Political Science
Political Science and International Relations
Political Science and International Studies
Political Theory
Politics
Postcommunist societies
Subsidies
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Summary:To many citizens in post-communist states European Union (EU) membership represented a historical–civilisational choice: an end to the Cold War division of Europe and symbolic reuniting of Eastern Europe with a ‘West’ that they had always considered themselves to be part of culturally and spiritually. In fact, in spite of its multiple crises, there continued to be high levels of support for EU membership and ‘Hard’ rejectionist Eurosceptic discourses were confined to the margins of politics. However, the increasing sense of East European cultural distinctiveness, highlighted by the post-communist states’ responses to the European migration crisis, meant that pro-EU discourses were less romantic and more instrumental, driven increasingly by a cost–benefit analysis based on an evaluation of the tangible material benefits that the Union was felt to deliver.
ISSN:1680-4333
1682-0983
DOI:10.1057/s41304-020-00267-w