Questions of Identity

What does Europe mean? European identity has long been hotly debated and a cause of deep division both in political parties and in Britain at large. This volume contributes to the discourse on European integration, featuring the opinions of Margaret Thatcher, Sir Edward George, Ralf Dahrendorf, Michael Ignatieff, Vaclav Havel, Norman Stone, Richard Hoggart, Flora Lewis and Cees Nooteboom. It explores questions such as: did Britain miss the boat at a much earlier stage in the European story or did the country pursue a cautious and sceptical course? How do Britain and Europe stand today in the face of the globalized world of the 21st century? The book also concentrates on the vital issues surrounding European identity: does a European identity actually exist and what would be the real consequences of further integration? It covers a broad range of subjects from cultural exchange to monetary union, from trading arrangements to geo-political projections, from nationality to East-West rapprochement in the post-Cold War era. It identifies and adresses the crucial questions that need to be openly discussed if tomorrow's Europe is to be securely founded.