Ambiguous identities in crisis-ridden Greece: ‘us’ and/against ‘Europe’

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we present findings of a research project focusing on the tensions between the idea of ‘Europe’ and that of the ‘nation’ as well as on perceptions of national and popular sovereignty in times of crisis. We start from the assumption that in the context of the recent crisis, EU politics have become ‘normal politics,’ generating political passions, polarization, and a deeper Eurosceptic mood. Working on the emblematic case of Greece, we focus on two critical moments (referendum 2015 and Prespa Agreement 2018) so as to address the question of how the idea of ‘Europe’ was politicized and reconceptualized in its competitive symbiosis with perception(s) of the ‘nation’. Drawing on discourse analysis and ethnographic research, we maintain that European identity, in this critical juncture, was not deconstructed but rather remodelled in constant tension with national identity.

KEYWORDS:

• Greece
• referendum
• crisis
• Euroscepticism
• identity
• social mobilisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Research for this article was co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund – ESF) through the Operational Programme ‘Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020ʹ in the context of the project ‘Transformations of national and popular sovereignty in times of crisis’ (MIS 5004286).