Eureco #3 - The Euro Crisis and European Identities: What Future for European Unity?

Lecture by Charlotte Galpin, postdoc, Centre for Modern European Studies, Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen.

Abstract

The Euro crisis has had far-reaching economic and political effects for the EU. The crisis, however, has also had implications for European identities and has tested the limits of European solidarity.

Drawing on empirical findings from Germany, Ireland and Poland, Galpin challenges the commonly held view that identities change dramatically at times of crisis but shows that they instead become polarised around the multiple existing and contested identity discourses in EU member states. She argues that this very resilience helps to understand the EU’s current divisions.

The lecture will show how understanding identity dynamics during the crisis has implications not just for the future of the single currency as an identity-building project, but also for tackling the EU’s future challenges - the refugee crisis, Brexit and the EU’s democratic legitimacy.

About the lecture series

The EURECO Distinguished Lectures are open to the public and we invite everyone who takes an interest in European issues to sign-up for a series where some of the best scholars within the field will present and discuss their current work. 

Registration is mandatory but free of charge.