Cultural Patterns of European Enlargement Process

1. CULTPAT Cultural Patterns of the European Enlargement Process 5th FP project (duration 2003-2006) www.cultpat.univie.ac.at

2. Framework for Research • The change of the European political landscape in 1989/90 and the ongoing process of European enlargement force the European nation states to (partially) redefine their identity concepts as well as their position within the new political surrounding • project aims at an analysis of those cultural patterns that influence local, regional, national and European identity constructions • Two selected fields of political discourse and policy making appear as (potentially) conflicting ones, were taken as examples: • notion of territory • construction of a common European memory

3. Aims of research, questions • To what main cultural patterns does the debate on the enlargement process refer? • Are these cultural patterns to be seen as national (regional, local) and/or European ones? • How do the candidate countries argue their ”Europeaness”, what kind of cultural patterns do they refer to? • How does ”national identity” in this respect correspond with ”European identity”? • What could Europe mean after ”1989/90”? What type of European Union is at stake? • What different images of regions, nations and Europe are linked to the whole process of enlargement?

4. Methodological Approach • the project is methodologically based on a comparative, trans-disciplinary approach to the analyses of discourse imprinting cultural patterns • multidisciplinary approach, that unites analytical instruments deriving from anthropology, history and political science under a research perspective developed in the trans-disciplinary field of cultural studies • comparative view on European, national and regional political cultures enables to analyse cultural patterns and identifythe relationship between political arguments that are used in current political debates on enlargement and those cultural patterns they are based on

5. Research partners • The countries that are included in the comparative analysis do not only represent different ”stages” of membership or accession within/ to the EU, they also represent different regions of the European political landscape • Four representatives of the Central European region: Switzerlandasa stable liberal democratic system clearly belonging to Europe but taking a position on the periphery of the European integration process; Austria as a relatively "new" EU member; currently "border country" of the EU; Hungaryand Slovakiaas the EU newcomers • One state belonging to the Southeast European enlargement region: Bulgaria, a representative of theupcoming enlargement wave • One state representing the Western European region: France, a founding member of the European Community

6. Dissemination of the Project Results • Established CULTPAT internet forum • dissemination workshops in three selected countries not involved in the project (Latvia, Monte Negro, Turkey) • relevant publications in the form of books, CD-ROMS and websites

7. International research cooperation challenges and problems • Deepening networks, effect of snow-ball • Interpersonal contacts, young researchers • Partner in 6th FP project CONSENT: Wider Europe, Deeper Integration? www.eu-consent.net • Several Jean Monnet projects: Chair, European Centre of Excellence, teaching moduls • Delays in money transfer • Support from domestic institutions: low level of confidence