Political Identification In Europe

<div>In recent years, Europe has been buffeted by a series of contested crises that seemingly undermine and overwhelm its institutions and ideals: the economic shocks of 2008, the open disputes over migration, the political uncertainty generated by Brexit and the inroads made by various populist and nationalist parties into government. </div><div><br></div><div>These interconnected trends have exposed the myth of a cohesive European community. Instead, what can be witnessed is the polarization, fragmentation and displacement of the European public sphere. At the very least, both the perceptions and realities of these crises and the reactions to them have disrupted established patterns of identity and instituted new ones. The emergent discourses of austerity, security, populism and anti-populism, for example, are all rooted in a transforming political landscape. In this context, a re-examination of what it means to belong in and to Europe today is required. </div><div><br></div><div>By