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European Integration and Nationalist Particularism

Nowadays the process of European integration generates new challenges for European countries. It weakens their ability to independently govern the processes of system and social integration. Although European integration formally fosters policies that encourage multiculturalism and transcend nationalist particularism, it is not clear yet how successful this process is in achieving these goals. In fact, at the present moment it is obvious that European Union is successful only in the system integration of its member states, but unsuccessful in creating a socio-cultural basis for growth of common European identity and transnational social solidarity. Consequently, the question arises whether the formal opening of European borders and the creation of common institutions can automatically overcome existing nationalist particularisms. That is, whether that process can cause that nationalist particularism and ethno-national exclusivism become irrelevant factor of social (dis)integration in divided multiethnic communities. In order to investigate that relationship, the correlation between value orientations of the respondents and their perceptions of the consequences of Croatia joining the European Union has been tested. The results show that respondents who support the values of ethno-national exclusivism have an ambivalent attitude toward the process of European integration. Specifically, respondents who support mentioned values believe that this process will have both positive and negative consequences for Croatian society. It should be concluded that European integration will not necessarily and automatically lead to the disappearance of existing nationalist particularisms, but will prevent their promotion within political and public arenas.

European Integration; Nationalist Particularisms; Ethno-national Exclusivism; Social (Dis)Integration; Multiethnic Communities

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