L’INSTANT DE VÉRITÉ DU RÉCIT EUROPÉEN EN PERIODE DE CRISE UKRAINIENNE : LE CAS DE L’EUROPE CENTRALE
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR THE EUROPEAN NARRATIVE AMIDST THE UKRAINIAN CRISIS: THE CASE OF CENTRAL EUROPE

Summary/Abstract: When the rule of law came under pressure at the borders of the European Union following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a unification of discourse seems to emerge around a common enemy. This seems to open a chapter in the European narrative that was thought to be closed. It now carries a heavy responsibility, that of leading Europeans to become aware of who they are. The European narrative is a quest for identity particularly marked by the reintegration of Central European countries. The tragic legacy they share with Ukraine reinforces their role in this narrative more than ever. For them, it is important to defend European identity, even though it seems to revolve more around a political culture than a strong common culture. The unclear definition of the cultural dimension of identity in the treaties or by European actors themselves is largely misguided. Paradoxically, the European identity so necessary to face the Ukrainian crisis may itself be in crisis. This article proposes to consider the Ukrainian crisis as an event integrated in the unity of the European narrative. It is important to note that the use of the word « crisis » appears to play a central role in the European Union’s rhetoric in fostering the emergence of collective convictions. However, tensions are emerging between European Member States particularly from Hungary. This article examines how the European narrative is a source of truth. Beyond the discourse of the European institutions, the question remains open as to what extent public communication in Central European countries is oriented towards unifying narrative in the face of a common enemy, against the backdrop of the « crisis » in Ukraine?

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