National vs European Identity in the Preparation for the European Parliamentary Elections

• • 
  • Presentation speakers
    • Ildikó Éva Gelencsér, O. P. Jindal Global University, School of International Affairs, Haryana, India

  Abstract:

  The European integration is an ongoing process. Nowadays the European Union integrates almost all the European countries consequently it is not just a geographic but a cultural and political unit as well. The Union is made up by 28 Member States – with 28 different national identities. The Union needs to have a common identity which should it be an equal as well as a complementary one. The European identity presuppose loyalty to the European institutions that express the interest of the Union. Member States – especially the recently joined – still insist on strengthening their national identities in the hope of get more political credits at home. Widening the Union’s competence is considered a direct danger to the power of the populist national governments in some countries in Eastern Europe. Instead of perceiving the supranational nature of the Union as a facilitation, these governments use “Europe” a major threat for their power. This study argues that the policy of the populist government in Hungary represents a battle between national and European identity. It also argues that the ruling party emphasise national identity (especially exclusionary narratives against those who do not support its politics) and interest, which is explicitly expressed in the EP election campaign in 2019. Furthermore, the study seeks to demonstrate the method the national government eliminates free media to support national identity – that one serves political interests – at the expense of European unity. Before the elections of the European Parliament, the political communication on behalf of the national government applies negative campaign against the European Union in order to win as many votes and send as many representatives as possible. The government created a well-established communication strategy, in order to secure its place in the European parliament. It is manifested in billboards, in social media and printed press as well.

 

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