WHO ARE THE EUROPEANS?

Where is Europe? The geographical, political and ethnic borders of Europe are debatable. To the south, west and north they are marked by coastlines, but there is no clear border to the east.

European Identity If the external limits of Europe are contested, so is its internal identity (how Europeans define themselves relative to others). Nations offer Europeans the most obvious reminder of their differences, with language, culture, history and symbols preventing a broader sense of European identity Europe is divided into at least 40 different states and 160 different nationalities, with natives of the EU speaking more than 40 different languages, of which 23 are currently recognized as official. English, though, is rapidly becoming the common language of Europe.

Citizenship and Patriotism Although the EU has promoted an EU citizenship (giving EU citizens the right to live in different EU states and to vote in local and European Parliament elections, for example), this is not the same as providing Europeans with the same rights and legal status as those who are citizens of a member state. Polls suggest that only about 4% of Europeans consider themselves as such, while about 41% identify exclusively with the states of which they are citizens, and about 55% have some mixture of European and state identity. Only about half of EU residents feel a sense of attachment to the EU.

Changing Demography Declining fertility and improved life expectancy mean that the population of Europe is both shrinking and becoming older. This has led to concerns about economic productivity and the costs of supporting an aging population. Europe’s population growth is now almost entirely accounted for by net immigration, which presents a host of troubling political and social challenges.