Pan-Europeanism

Pan-European identity is the sense of personal identification with Europe. The most concrete example of pan-Europeanism is the European Union (EU). 'Europe' is widely used as a synonym for the EU, as 500 million Europeans (70%) are EU citizens; however, many nations that are not part of the EU may have large portions of their populations who identify themselves as European as well as their country nationality. Those countries are usually part of the older Council of Europe and have aspirations of EU membership. The prefix pan implies that the identity applies throughout Europe, and especially in an EU context, 'pan-European' is often contrasted with national.

The related concept Europeanism is the assertion that the people of Europe have a distinctive set of political, economic and social norms and values that are slowly diminishing and replacing existing national or state-based norms and values.

Historically, European culture has not led to a geopolitical unit. As with the constructed nation, it might well be the case that a political or state entity will have to prefigure the creation of a broad, collective identity. At present, European integration co-exists with national loyalties and national patriotism.

A development of European identity is regarded by supporters of European integration as part of the pursuit of a politically, economically and militarily influential united Europe. Such proponents argue it supports the foundations of common European values, such as of fundamental human rights and spread of welfare, and strengthens the supra-national democratic and social institutions of the European Union. The concept of common European identity is viewed as rather a by-product than the main goal of the European integration process, and is actively promoted by both EU bodies and non-governmental initiatives.Eurosceptics tend to oppose such a concept, preferring national identities of the various nation states of the European continent.

A sense of European identity traditionally derives from the idea of a common European historical narrative. In turn, that is assumed to be the source of the most fundamental European values. Typically the 'common history' includes a combination of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the feudalism of the Middle Ages, the Hanseatic League, the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, 19th century liberalism and different forms of socialism, Christianity and secularism, colonialism and the World Wars.

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