ABSTRACT
Throughout history, the notion of ‘Europe’ has been instrumentalised by politicians and intellectuals in pursuit of their political objectives. References to ‘Europe’ have been invoked to create a sense of unity and to nurture perceptions among the wider population of belonging to a broader community. Thus, depending on the context, specific, shared affinities have been emphasised in some cases, while cultural and historical differences have been stressed in others. This chapter discusses some of the most influential references to Europe that have been formulated by European intellectuals, statespersons, and politicians. This chapter puts these references in their historical context in order to understand what motivated these visions and discusses how the centre of gravity of the ‘meaning’ of Europe has shifted, repeatedly.
