EUROPEAN IDENTITY
Step 1. Overview
Introduction
If we were to define European identity as briefly as possible, we would start by saying that it is a form of collective identity that epitomises a feeling of belonging to Europe. As such, European identity is both a cultural concept and a political one. It is cultural in a sense that despite national differences, there are some cultural elements that bind the peoples of Europe together. We can talk about European heritage, common European values and, even to a certain extent, a common European history. Think about it for a moment: even though every nation has its own heroes, key dates, and events that are defined nationally (they endure in national collective memories through history books, myths, stories which are all told and written in a certain national setting), there are still some figures, some events, and some dates that resonate with Europeans in a similar way, crossing national boundaries.