European identity on the example of the southern EU countries in the context of the migration crisis of 2015–2016

Abstract

This article aims to identify the impact of the migration crisis of 2015–2016 on the state of common European identity and its relationship with the level of national identity on the example of the three southern EU countries — Greece, Italy and Spain — which assumed the main burden of receiving and accommodating refugees. The urgency of the problem posed is caused not only by the continued influx of illegal migrants into the EU, but also by placing on the agenda issues of strengthening solidarity within the European Union against the background of migration challenges and the need for a qualitatively new understanding of the role of the national state in rapidly changing international conditions. The authors, based on the processing of a significant array of statistical materials and public opinion polls, have made three important conclusions: 1) Italy and Spain belong to the states with implicitly expressed national identity; Greece, on the contrary, from the very beginning of their presence in the European communities, was a model of pronounced national identity, which over time came into collision with the level of European identity; 2) The population of these countries, with a certain level of skepticism, generally relates to the European Union, however, such EU achievements as freedom of borders do not cause any sharp rejection in dynamics, as one could have admitted against the background of migration processes, nor a strong sense of support. Rather, on the contrary, all of these countries are more concerned with the state of the economy and rising unemployment; 3) The migration crisis of 2015–2016 almost did not have a noticeable impact on EU ownership in Greece; in other southern countries, Italy and Spain, on the contrary, the situation worsened, and the factor of illegal migration markedly reduced the level of support for a “United Europe” in Italy and Spain.