Special Workshop Abstract

Alexander Bröstl, Slovak Republic

How important is European identity, to feel to be an European? What is the European identity based on? Should the citizens be identified with a common cultural identity at all? Central-European identity.

Another view: are there certain constitutional principles that guarantee the rights and freedoms of the citizens more important than the question of their identity (J. Habermas)? 

The Preliminary Draft of the Constitutional Treaty, Art. 5: Definition of the Union/ European Citizenship and the rights attaching to it.

Re-thinking of the citizenship. The Treaty of Rome did not count with regions as we are nowadays speaking about them (regional citizenship included into the Member State citizenship and Union/European citizenship?). Multiple connections between regions and the global market without intermediate state structures.

Decline of the Nation State force and importance. Example Slovakia: Ten years after separation, from a Nation State to a Member State of the European Union (with EU citizens). Sovereignity, national identity and e pluribus unum, tolerance as “values at stake”.  

Rights attached  to citizenship, example: freedom of movement. Leaving the country was before equal to treason, expressed in the legal language and especially in the language of Criminal Law. Despite it the modern history of Slovakia is a history of leaving the country. Leaving because of looking for work, freedom - or both. The present history may become a history of comings (of comebacks or shifts).