Soft Power – Diplomacy and Identiy

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the relationship between diplomacy andidentity. Can we still talk about soft power in the terms of Joseph Nye?Does Europe use soft power? And if so, does it use it regarding the termof ‘collective identity’? Starting from the article of Anthony D. Smith,National identity and the idea of European unity, can we talk about collectivecultural identity? Europe is a continent that knows and accepts lots ofdifferent cultures but does it aim, in terms of definition, to have a single„European culture”? There are lots of questions raised by this article.If the members of UE are searching to have a collective identity, howare the member states reacting to this idea? Eventually, every singlecountry is not going to give up the national culture and what is definingeach other. There is a common destiny that combines continuity andmemory. We can find this at every social level and also regarding thenational diplomacy. Attracting the UE members into having a Europeanculture, and doing this in terms of soft power, can this really work forthe UE? The European identity, as well as the national identity, it is nota natural one but a social one. It is a social construct seen as the resultof historical conditions and cultural relations.