Identita občana a občanství EU
Citizen’s Identity and the EU Citizenship

Summary/Abstract: EU citizenship topic gives many opportunities for analyzing the concept of closeness, belonging, and identity. Although much subjective, the identity is studied through the narrative of historical, constitutional, sociological aspects of modern nations formation. Stemming from different origins and milieu, the concept of national citizenship, unlike the one of EU citizenship, bears its specific social ideology. It is somehow reflected in the national legislation which provides either a strictly exclusive, or a more inclusive concept of citizenship. Restrictions on dual citizenship, as practiced until recently in some of the Central European countries, supported rather the former one. Vis-a-vis the EU citizenship, the national citizenship is looked upon as first and given priority, for obvious state sovereignty reasons. Moreover, the EU citizenship does not offer much of a common memory which would be cultivated by transnational social classes who would speak on behalf of common European identity. If realized, it would bear a potential for a solid cultural, social, and economic identity. To be and to feel European is not only constructed through the protection mechanisms for someone, when caught in transfrontier unhappy or discriminatory situations. The ideal situation would come, if be home would mean to feel and act European. Still it seems to be a long way to go.

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