Abstract. The debates about the relation between the national and European identity have recently gained a new impetus as a result of the growing national populism within the EU. In this regard, the article aims at elaborating the points of resemblance and dissonance between the identity-patterns of the two collective identities construction. In addition, it raises the question about the relation between national and European identity – do they compete with each other or they are parts of a bigger postmodern identity mosaic?
In the first part of the research the main structural elements taking part in the National identity construction are discussed making a parallel with the European identity composition. In the second part of the text a more detailed analises on the ethnic and civic model of identity construction is offered revealing two levels at which European identity is being created.
Given that the majority of the academic work on the topic is more statistically or case orientated the article might be of interest due its fundamental approach.
Keywords: National identity; European identity; European Union; identity pattern; postmodern
Liliya Sazonova
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria
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