“Germany is a country that has absolutely had to since the Second World War ask itself massive moral questions. And it's reforged its identity based on culture. I mean, the amount of artists living and working in Berlin is unparalleled. It's one of the strongest economies, not only in Europe, but globally, and it's because of its understanding of the importance of culture.” WorldMeanWarCountryArtistCultureAsksUnderstandingMoralEconomyIdentityAmountEuropeImportanceWar Of The WorldsGermanyMassiveStrongestBerlinSecond World War Author:Cate Blanchett
“Freedom is the kind of essence of being a pirate: You're away from land-locked Europe. You're not part of the society. You're part of the brotherhood of the sea, Your ship is your sense of identity. So when you approach the wheel, that's what you own.” KindSeaLandIdentityApproachEuropeEssenceShipsWheelsBrotherhoodLockedPirate Author:Geoffrey Rush
“If Turkey become a member of the EU, of course Turks would lose a part of this identity, just as Europe would lose a part of its own. It would also be a different Europe then. Accepting Turkey into the EU is an ambitious political endeavor of historical proportions. Europe would become a strong, multi-religious unit.” IfsDifferentPoliticalCoursesStrongLosesReligiousAcceptingIdentityMembersEuropeHistoricalProportionEndeavorAmbitiousUnitsTurkeys Author:Orhan Pamuk
“Even if it doesn't sound like it at first, that's an identity that Europe can go out into the world with and take a leading role.” IfsWorldFirstsSoundRolesIdentityEurope Author:Bernard-Henri Levy
“With the world in turmoil and doubt, the American people, faithful to the values that have always defined America's identity, have expressed with force their faith in progress and the future. At a time when we must face huge challenges together, your election has raised enormous hope in France, in Europe and beyond.” PeopleWorldTogetherAmericaFacesValuesForceChallengesDoubtProgressIdentityHugeEuropeElectionRaisedEnormousDefinedFranceFaithfulTurmoil Author:Nicolas Sarkozy
“My first guiding principle is this: willing and active co-operation between independent sovereign states. Europe will be stronger precisely because it has France as France, Spain as Spain, Britain as Britain, each with its own customs, traditions and identity. It would be folly to try to fit them into some sort of identikit European personality.” TryingFirstsStatesWould BePrinciplesIdentityWillingPersonalityFitEuropeTraditionStrongerIndependentActiveFranceOperationsFollyBritainCustomsSovereignSpainGuiding Principles Book:CPC [publications]. Source: CPC [publications].
“Here in Europe some of the challenges have to do with structures that are so complicated. You've got Brussels, and you've got parliament, you've got councils and then you've got national governments. So people sometimes don't feel as if they know who's making decisions, and the more that we can bring people in and engage them, the better. Some of it is also cultural and social, people's sense of identity.” PeopleIfsKnowsFeelsSometimesGovernmentSocialChallengesDecisionIdentityEuropeStructureComplicatedParliamentCouncilMaking DecisionsBrussels Author:Barack Obama
“People are less certain of their national identities or their place in the world. It starts looking different and disorienting. And there is no doubt that that has produced populist movements both from the left and from the right in many countries in Europe.” PeopleWorldDifferentCountryCertainLeftDoubtMovementIdentityEuropeNo DoubtPlaces In The WorldPopulistNational Identity Author:Barack Obama
“In the '30s and '40s, the search for Hungarian national identity led famously to an alliance with Hitler and the destruction of more than a half million of the nation's Jews. And here we are now, more than 70 years later, witnessing a resurgence of xenophobia and authoritarianism, and not just in Eastern Europe.” YearsNationsHalfMillionsIdentityEuropeDestructionJewEasternAlliancesAuthoritarianismXenophobiaEastern EuropeResurgenceHungariansNational Identity Author:Susan Faludi
“Europe is my home, Europe is my continent. Europe is where we live. The European Union is a political bureaucratic organization that took away our identity and our national sovereignty. So, I would get rid of the European Union and be a nation-state again.” StatesHomePoliticalNationsIdentityEuropeOrganizationUnionsContinentsSovereigntyEuropean UnionNational Sovereignty Author:Geert Wilders
“I said, yet again, for Germany, Europe is not only indispensable, it is part and parcel of our identity. We've always said German unity, European unity and integration, that's two parts of one and the same coin. But we want, obviously, to boost our competitiveness.” WantSaidTwoIdentityEuropeUnityGermanyIndispensableIntegrationCoinsBoostCompetitivenessParcel Author:Angela Merkel
“When I arrived in Beirut from Europe, I felt the oppressive, damp heat, saw the unkempt palm trees and smelt the Arabic coffee, the fruit stalls and the over-spiced meat. It was the beginning of the Orient. And when I flew back to Beirut from Iran, I could pick up the British papers, ask for a gin and tonic at any bar, choose a French, Italian, or German restaurant for dinner. It was the beginning of the West. All things to all people, the Lebanese rarely questioned their own identity.” PeopleAsksFeltSawsTreeIdentityPaperPicksEuropeAll ThingsWestFruitDinnerBritishCoffeeBarsMeatHeatRestaurantsIranItalianPalmsPapersFlewGinDampPalm TreesBeirutLebaneseGin And Tonic Book:Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War Source: Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War
“What passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one's heroic ancestors. It's astounding to me, for example, that so many people really appear to believe that the country was founded by a band of heroes who wanted to be free. That happens not to be true. What happened was that some people left Europe because they couldn't stay there any longer and had to go somewhere else to make it. That's all. They were hungry, they were poor, they were convicts. Those who were making it in England, for example, did not get on the Mayflower. That's how the country was settled.” PeopleBelieveCountryHappensWantedAmericaCultureLeftJusticePoorHappenedExampleIdentityHeroBandDiversityEuropeEnglandSocial JusticeSeriesMythHungryBeing TrueHeroicAncestorSomewhere ElseConvictsMayflower Author:James A. Baldwin
“And the associated danger for the identity of Europe cannot be ignored out of a wrongly understood sense of respect... The Catholic side sees this clearly and says as much.” SidesDangerIdentityUnderstoodEuropeCatholicIgnored Author:Georg Ganswein