ABSTRACT
This chapter synthesizes the symbolic boundaries described in the previous chapters and reconstructs the “mental map” of Europe and the Europeans that they reflect. Notably, the perceived boundaries are frequently related not to single nationalities, but rather to regional categorical distinctions such as “Northern” and “Southern European,” or “Western” and “Eastern European.” As we will see in this chapter, these categories are the product of historical developments and interpretations of political, economic and cultural differences and inequalities. First, the North–South distinction crystallizes around perceived cultural and linguistic differences. The mental distinction between Eastern and Western Europe is mainly a product of the Cold War and the “Iron Curtain,” which had separated Europe along ideological lines for several decades. It is reproduced in the distinction between the “Western/old” and the “Eastern/new” member states that acceded the EU in 2004 and 2007. Finally, the distinction between large and small EU member states enshrines perceptions of power differences based on the population size and economic weight of a country.
