"European Union citizenship: New rights for whom?"

Elman, Amy. (1997) "European Union citizenship: New rights for whom?". In: UNSPECIFIED, Seattle, WA. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

In 1992, the architects of European integration unfurled the banner of European citizenship. Faced with growing economic uncertainty, Europe's leaders rely increasingly on affective strategies to grant greater legitimacy to the new, liberal economic order. As Brigid Laffan explains, "Economic integration bore the burden of building a polity" (1996: 92). Historically, the definitive attributes of any polity are three-fold: territory, sovereignty, and citizenship. In the context of the EU, much attention has been focused on sovereignty (e.g., subsidiarity) and the expansion of territory (through extended membership); by comparison, EU citizenship is a relatively recent concern, its establishment dating only from Maastricht. This article explores briefly the meaning of such citizenship for those who have historically been excluded from state construction and transnational bargaining, principally the women of Europe. The central argument is that the concept of European citizenship is decidedly ambiguous and its application inspires ambivalence, particularly for progressives and feminists. This article explores the reasons why this is the case.

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