Proud to be European?

A survey has shown that 71% of French people are happy to assert their European identity. Two years after the referendum in May 2005, three quarters of French people say they feel ‘often or from time to time’ proud to be European.

This ability to feel pride in being French and European transcends the generations and political alliance and the pride in nationality grows with age as 95% of people aged 75 and above has the greatest allegiance to their homeland whereas only 88% of under 25s show the same pride.

These figures are particularly significant amongst the voters of the right (95% of UMP and up to 100% of Philippe de Villiers’s MPF.) This could be that the French are more prepared to reconcile national and European identities and politicians could be more daring in European proposals. In fact France is ready for the creation of a European socio-economic government.

The political candidate prepared to be involved in European construction and change will be the candidate of the voters’ preference. Nicolas Sarkozy heads the table with 28%, Sérgolène Royal 23% and François Bayrou 22%; other candidates polled 2% or less and EuropaNova, carrying out the survey, states that ’one needs weight to have credibility at European level.’

Proposals of candidates range from the sublime to the ridiculous. The socialist candidate calls for a law compelling all citizens to memorize the French national anthem and to 'keep a French flag in the cupboard for public display' on certain holidays. the conservative candidate meanwhile, along with the far right Jean-Marie Le Pen, calls for laws requiring 'Muslim immigrants to embrace the secular values of the republican state.'

This outspokenness and the policies surrounding it is the secular mainstream reaction to the growing influence of Islam in France, viewed by many as a threat to the continuing stability of the Fifth Republic.

Urban centres, such as Paris, still attract Muslim immigrants from Arabic and African states causing the panic and alarm which has, and continues, to enter the French psyche. This fear, forever linked to historical legacies connected to French colonisation, has been the cause of Franc's identity crisis and the focus on more recent problems such as youth unemployment which triggered the nationwide protests of a year ago.

Formed in 2002 the EuropaNova Group comprises of young professionals aged between 20 and 40 who seek to develop a unified Europe. Although not specialists they meet regularly to discuss how to influence others to take an interest in the development of European Construction, their principal interest is contributing to the materialisation of a generation united by a common goal; the introduction of a political Europe. To achieve this objective, EuropaNova seeks to communicate the real issues concerning the European construction to both the French population and French political representatives.