The EU’s Historical Narrative and Enlargement to Eastern Europe
The EU’s Historical Narrative and Enlargement to Eastern Europe

Summary/Abstract: The European Parliament’s quest to provide a legitimising discourse for European Union enlargement led it to develop a compelling historical narrative to justify the entry of eight Central and Eastern European countries in 2004. This narrative was however built through the lens of Western European elaborations of historical myths and memory. Central and Eastern European representatives did not in fact share this historical identity, and use of the historical narrative fell by the wayside in debates of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession between 2004 and 2007.

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