Who is Afraid of Europe?
Who is Afraid of Europe?
Author(s): Slavenka DrakulićSubject(s): Political history, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Social differentiation, Nationalism Studies, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Sociology of Politics
Published by: SAGE Publications Ltd
Keywords: Eastern Europe; borders; xenophobia; nationalism; racism; transformation period; European Union;
Summary/Abstract: I live in Sweden, Croatia, and Austria. Europe is my home. I remember when, a couple of years ago, the checkpoint at the border crossing between Austria and Italy was abandoned, and we passed the border near Klagenfurt, barely believing that we were not going to be stopped by the police. But there were no police, only empty booths. What a great feeling of relief it was! Especially because I remembered the strange sensation when I crossed the newly erected border post between Slovenia and Croatia in 1991 for the first time. Being an Eastern European, I also know how it feels to stand in line at the airport checkpoint that says "non-EU citizens," or sometimes, just bluntly, "Others." [...]
Journal: East European Politics and Societies
- Issue Year: 15/2001
- Issue No: 01
- Page Range: 1-9
- Page Count: 9
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF