21
Spring 2015
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showed “for the first time that overall distrust of the EU now outstrip[ed] trust.” He attributes this distrust to the tensions of the EMU and its ability to have, in this case, negative “identityendowing effects.” This distrust signals the potential delegitimization of the institutions in the eyes of its citizens - distrust that became clear not only through eurobarometer surveys, but also through the actions of individual nation states during the eurozone crisis. Germany and Chancellor Merkel’s unwillingness to bail-out the Greeks from the get-go outlines this. Overall distrust between these two nations led to a series of actions that undeniably exacerbated the situation and led to an even graver economic crisis - a crisis in which Europe still finds itself now. Due to such instability in the EU, Europe has seen the re-emergence of radical parties, particularly those of the radical right. These events threaten the legitimacy of a body that was created for the purposes of upholding democracy and unity. Its susceptibility to fail at the first sign of trouble indicates the instability of the body and its link to a lack of a sense of community within the EU members. Despite the proven legitimacy of the EU, if it does not succeed in strengthening its identity the European Union will not be able to sustain itself as a legitimate governing body. The EU now finds its legitimacy under review by its citizens, and the body’s weak output and overall distrust in one another is greatly to blame. However, though the EU does not yet have a strong and defined identity, it is hard to deny traces of its foundation both in language and territory. Despite the crisis in which the EU finds itself now, one must remain hopeful for its future. The EU has already proven that although they can disband during crisis they are also capable of unifying when needed. The terrorist attacks that transpired January 7, 2015, at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo are a clear indication of this. The European community banded together in solidarity, for an attack on France and France’s values represents an attack on all of Europe. It is this solidarity that is needed if the European Union is to move past the eurocrisis.
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among its citizens, thus hindering the establishment of a concrete EU identity. Furthermore, until the EU is able to move past its member’s cultural differences in order to embrace cultural similarities, this unity will be difficult to consolidate. In this characterization of the European identity, or lack thereof, we arrive at the question of legitimacy. Can the European Union be legitimate if it does not have a strong common identity? Here one must decide how legitimacy will be categorized. Will legitimacy be entirely dependent on each citizen’s overall sentiment or will it be measured based on performance? It seems that simply looking from overall sentiment the European Union is not legitimate. However, if legitimacy is to be measured based on overall performance then it could be argued that the European Union is a legitimate body. The European Union as a body finds its legitimacy in the transparency of its institutions and in the outcome of its actions. Legitimacy must be measured not solely on the outcome but also on the quality of the processes. The role of institutions and organizations as essential elements in the overall legitimacy of a body can not be overlooked. It is by looking at the EU’s ‘throughput’, as well as output, that the EU’s legitimacy can be recognized. The EU has been able to prove itself as an incredibly influential economic body and its institutions continue to grow in strength. An example of this is the rise of the European Parliament, which started out as a powerless body and now has great capability to affect European policy. So, the EU achieves its legitimacy without the need of an identity. But can the EU sustain its legitimacy without the support that comes with a common identity? An observation into the recent events of the Eurozone crisis is in order to better answer this question. Under crisis the legitimacy of a body is tested and the eurozone crisis damaged the growing trust in the European Union. Professor Chris Shore highlights in his article “Divided by a common currency: the euro crisis and european citizenship,” that in 2010 a survey