Is Britain European?
Timothy Garton Ash
To ask ‘Is Britain European?’ is to engage in a particularly difficult area of the always elusive business Identity Studies. The very nature and future viability have recently been subject extensive questioning. Meanwhile, one can distinguish at least six politically relevant senses term ‘European’. was never as exceptional suggested by traditional story British exceptionalism told ‘Island Story’ school historians. Moreover, it has become much less insular over past sixty years. question whether process Europeanization, Americanization or simply globalization. There considerable evidence that country's ties what Churchill called 'the English-speaking peoples' are still strong those continental Europe. In fact, both sets stronger. But these identities not exclusive. place multiple over-lapping identities: English, Scottish, Welsh Irish, well British, European transoceanic. That Britain's identity bound remain only partial does mean be shallow one. If full effective participant Europe deepen its identity, develop something normative, idealistic sense being which second most Europeans engaged debates.
International Affairs