On the Images of the European Union in Hungary
On the Images of the European Union in Hungary

Summary/Abstract: Between 1990 and 2004, during the EU accession process, opinion research in Hungary showed not only increasing skepticism but also a very abstract imagination in regards to the EU and its institutions. Not only was the ability to imagine the EU difficult, but knowledge about the EU was also limited and rough. This indicated that the European Union does not yet seem to be an “imagined community” for the Hungarians. The protracted debate about the EU enlargement resulted in a lack of confidence in the symbolic position and self-representation of the nation. Parallel to this, Hungary tried to re-draw the mental map of ex-communist Europe and attempted to attain a central economic, social and cultural position in the region. The covers and caricatures of the Hungarian newspapers during the period of the EU accession highly superficially and confusedly revived the old visual narratives on Europe. Another common characteristic of this imagining Europe is ambiguity: all pictures show the emotions of insecurity and dissatisfaction with regard to whether or not Hungarians are “fi t for Europe”. As a result of this, the accession had a mirror effect: in the pictures the European Union is not to be seen; instead one fi nds self-portraits that stress Hungary’s alterity. The only visual novelty – one may regard this just with mixed feelings – is the widening of the discursive horizon toward the USA. It refers to the old-new question of loyalty: which continent, which constellation of power Hungary should prefer?

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