EUROPEAN IDENTITY
Europe has long been known as a center of commerce and industry because of its vast agricultural and industrial diversity. The European Union was founded by the Treaty of Maastricht, which came into effect on November 1, 1993, and established the European Community. The Treaty of Maastricht laid the groundwork for the European Union, paved the way for the introduction of the euro as the single currency, and established EU citizenship. Despite the fact that the EU is an organization committed to establishing peace and justice, there are still disturbances that are rooted in the variations in the ways in which the nations govern themselves. But is there a common identity of the EU and their values? And what exactly is European?
EU promotes, among other things, inclusion, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and non-discrimination. These ideals are fundamental to our European way of life and must not be overlooked. But what is meant by European? If we look up the definition of the word it says: “A native or inhabitant of Europe or a person of European descent”, but can that be discussed? To put things into perspective, we may look at our own nation, Denmark, and compare it to Sweden. Both nations are Scandinavian countries, and located in the northern European continent.
The immigration policies of Sweden and Denmark are the most significant distinctions between the two countries. In comparison to Denmark, Sweden has a more inquisitive mind when it comes to migrants seeking asylum in their nation. Sweden had the highest proportion of immigrants and descendants in 2017, accounting for 22 percent of the total. Norway and Denmark each account for 17 percent of the total (13 per cent). Despite the fact that Sweden has a far greater population and a much wider land area than Denmark, the country is nevertheless attempting to assist refugees. As a smaller country with only about 6 million inhabitants and a limited land area, Denmark has chosen not to accept as many immigrants, and therefore has a much stricter immigration policy.
From the point of refugee statistics you can conclude that there is a large amount of refugees from the Middle East. As Sweden is very open to immigrants, it also causes them to have a more mixed population with different language cultures including Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian and Polish.
On the other hand the two Scandinavian countries also have some similarities. Sweden, like Denmark, is a welfare nation with a strong social safety net. Citizens are subjected to a substantial amount of taxation. Schooling, healthcare, and other services, on the other hand, are mostly free. Sweden and Denmark are likewise well-known for providing favorable settings for children and promoting significant equality between men and women. History has shown that Denmark and Sweden have had a tight relationship, and that they have both been unified under the same government as well as at war with one another at various times. Today, Sweden is a nation with which Denmark frequently compares itself in terms of politics and culture. Both countries will go to tremendous measures to compete against one another in sports like handball and football, among others.
Conclusively, the EU is unique in that, while all Member States are free and independent states, they have agreed to share some of their "sovereignty" in areas where cooperation makes sense. Members of the EU have a customs union, a single market wherein capital, products, services, and people may freely travel, a common trade policy, and a common strategies policy. Even though the two Scandinavian countries have many similarities, there are also a number of differences. Additionally, being European is not something you are born with; rather, it is something you can cultivate.
Conclusion
With the information from this article it became clear that Europe has been through a lot, good things and bad things. This means that the EU must stick together, because much progress can be made if the countries work together.
Source reference:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/European
https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/sweden-guide
https://www.norden.org/da/information/fakta-om-sverige
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/maastricht-treaty/
https://faktalink.dk/sverige-faktalink-light
https://ec.europa.eu/component-library/eu/about/eu-values/
https://www.dst.dk/Site/Dst/Udgivelser/nyt/GetAnalyse.aspx?cid=32554