ABSTRACT
With the Treaty of Maastricht, the European Community, initially based on the economic integration of the member states, is leading towards a more politically integrated Union. The endeavour started in 1957 with the setting of specific organizations, among which the European Commission was given the unique role of ‘guardian of the Treaties’ and the initial source of rules and directives. These European institutions, however, have been alternatively and variously seen either as the source of progress towards a ‘better world’, a stage which brings together ideas of peace, security and cohesion, or as menacing traditional patterns and national futures, bringing back ideas of disruption and crisis. This is because the Europe-building process is controversial as it evolves in response to different interests. European institutions are the main agents in this change, and for the anthropologist, they represent a real political field in which to analyze the effects induced by institutional discourses and agents’ practices on the formation of collective identities. 1
