The Politics of Becoming European: A Study of Polish and Baltic Post-Cold War Security Imaginaries

225 Pages·2010·2.757 MB·English

by  Maria Mälksoo

CMYK 17 mm
THE NEW INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SERIES THE NEW INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SERIES
This book weaves together perspectives drawn from critical international T
H
relations, anthropology and social theory in order to understand the Polish
E
and Baltic post-Cold War politics of becoming European.
P
O
Approaching the study of Europe’s eastern enlargement through a post–
L
colonial critique, author Maria Mälksoo makes a convincing case for a IT
rethinking of European identity. I
C
S
Drawing on the theorist Edward Said, she contends that studies of the O
European Union are marked by a prevailing orientalism, rarely asking who F
has traditionally been able to define European identity, and whether this B
identity should be presented as a historical process rather than a static E
C
category. THE POLITICS OF
O
M
The central argument of this book is that the historical experience of
I BECOMING EUROPEAN
being framed as simultaneously in Europe – and yet not quite in Europe – N
G
informs the current self-understandings and security imaginaries of Poland

and the Baltic states. Exploring this existential condition of ‘liminal E
A study of Polish and Baltic post-Cold War security imaginaries
U
Europeanness’ among foreign and security policy-making elites, the book
R
considers its effects on key security policy issues, including relations with O
Western Europe, Russia and the United States. P
E
A
Supported by solid empirical analyses, this book provides an innovative
N
and interdisciplinary approach to the post-Cold War predicament of Poland
and the Baltic States. It will be of interest to students and scholars of
International Relations, European Studies, Social and Political Theory, and
Anthropology.
Maria Mälksoo is a Researcher at the International Centre for Defence
Maria Mälksoo
Studies, Tallinn, Estonia and a Lecturer at the Institute of Government and
Politics, University of Tartu, Estonia. Her main research interests include
critical security studies, political anthropology and European memory
politics.
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a

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POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS / SECURITY STUDIES lk
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The New International Relations Series o
Edited by Richard Little, Iver B. Neumann and Jutta Weldes o
Cover image: © Andrew Beierle / SXC
www.routledge.com
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The Politics of Becoming European
This book weaves together perspectives drawn from critical interna-
tional relations, anthropology and social theory in order to understand
the Polish and Baltic post-Cold War politics of becoming European.
Approaching the study of Europe’s eastern enlargement through a
post-colonial critique, author Maria Mälksoo makes a convincing case
for a rethinking of European identity.
Drawing on the theorist Edward Said, she contends that studies of the
European Union are marked by a prevailing Orientalism, rarely asking
who has traditionally been able to define European identity, and whether
this identity should be presented as a historical process rather than a
static category. The central argument of this book is that the historical
experience of being framed as simultaneously in Europe – and yet not
quite European – informs the current self-understandings and security
imaginaries of Poland and the Baltic states. Exploring this existential
condition of ‘liminal Europeanness’ among foreign and security policy-
making elites, the book considers its effects on key security policy issues,
including relations with Western Europe, Russia and the United States.
Supported by solid empirical analyses, this book provides an innova-
tive and interdisciplinary approach to the post-Cold War predicament of
Poland and the Baltic states. It will be of interest to students and scho-
lars of International Relations, European Studies, Social and Political
Theory, and Anthropology.
Maria Mälksoo is a Researcher at the International Centre for Defence
Studies, Tallinn, Estonia and a Lecturer at the Institute of Government
and Politics, University of Tartu, Estonia. Her main research interests
include critical security studies, political anthropology and European
memory politics.
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The New International Relations
Edited by Richard Little, University of Bristol, Iver B. Neumann, Norwegian
Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway and Jutta Weldes, University
of Bristol.
The field of international relations has changed dramatically in recent
years. This new series will cover the major issues that have emerged and
reflect the latest academic thinking in this particular dynamic area.
International Law, Rights Realism in International
and Politics Relations and International
Developments in Eastern Europe Political Economy
and the CIS The continuing story of a
Rein Mullerson death foretold
Stefano Guzzini
The Logic of Internationalism
Coercion and accommodation International Relations,
Kjell Goldmann Political Theory and the
Problem of Order
Russia and the Idea of Europe Beyond international
A study in identity and relations theory?
international relations N.J. Rengger
Iver B. Neumann
War, Peace and World Orders
The Future of International in European History
Relations Edited by Anja V. Hartmann
Masters in the making? and Beatrice Heuser
Edited by Iver B. Neumann
and Ole Wæver European Integration and
National Identity
Constructing the World Polity The challenge of the
Essays on international Nordic states
institutionalization Edited by Lene Hansen and
John Gerard Ruggie Ole Wæver
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Shadow Globalization, Ethnic ThePowerofInternationalTheory
Conflicts and New Wars Reforging the link to foreign
A political economy of policy-making through scientific
intra-state war enquiry
Dietrich Jung Fred Chernoff
Contemporary Security Analysis Africa and the North
and Copenhagen Peace Research Between globalization and
Edited by Stefano Guzzini and marginalization
Dietrich Jung Edited by Ulf Engel and
Gorm Rye Olsen
Observing International Relations
Niklas Luhmann and Communitarian International
world politics Relations
Edited by Mathias Albert and The epistemic foundations of
Lena Hilkermeier international relations
Emanuel Adler
Does China Matter? A
Reassessment Human Rights and World Trade
Essays in memory of Gerald Segal Hunger in international society
Edited by Barry Buzan and Ana Gonzalez-Pelaez
Rosemary Foot
Liberalism and War
European Approaches to The victors and the vanquished
International Relations Theory Andrew Williams
A house with many mansions
Jörg Friedrichs Constructivism and
International Relations
The Post-Cold War Alexander Wendt and his critics
International System Edited by Stefano Guzzini and
Strategies, institutions Anna Leander
and reflexivity
Ewan Harrison Security as Practice
Discourse analysis and the
States of Political Discourse Bosnian War
Words, regimes, seditions Lene Hansen
Costas M. Constantinou
The Politics of Insecurity
The Politics of Regional Identity Fear, migration and asylum
Meddling with the Mediterranean in the EU
Michelle Pace Jef Huysmans
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State Sovereignty and Intervention The International Politics of
A discourse analysis of Judicial Intervention
interventionary and Creating a more just order
non-interventionary practices Andrea Birdsall
in Kosovo and Algeria
Helle Malmvig Pragmatism in
International Relations
Culture and Security Edited by Harry Bauer and
Symbolic power and the politics Elisabetta Brighi
of international security
Michael Williams Civilization and Empire
China and Japan’s
Hegemony & History encounter with European
Adam Watson international society
Shogo Suzuki
Territorial Conflicts in
World Society Transforming World Politics
Modern systems theory, From empire to multiple worlds
international relations and Anna M. Agathangelou and
conflict studies L.H.M. Ling
Edited by Stephan Stetter
The Politics of
Ontological Security in Becoming European
International Relations A study of Polish and
Self-identity and the international Baltic post-Cold War
relations state security imaginaries
Brent J. Steele Maria Mälksoo
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The Politics of
Becoming European
A study of Polish and Baltic
post-Cold War security imaginaries
Maria Mälksoo
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Firstpublished 2010byRoutledge
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©2010Maria Mälksoo
Typesetin SabonbyTaylorandFrancis
Printedandboundin GreatBritainbytheMPGBooksgroup
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ISBN10:0-415-49997-2 (hbk)
ISBN10:0-203-87189-8 (ebk)
ISBN13:978-0-203-87189-8 (hbk)
ISBN13:978-0-203-87189-8 (ebk)
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For Elias
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Contents
Series Editor Preface ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xiv
1 The politics of becoming European 1
2 Dialogical understanding of collective identity formation 8
Self and other in constructivist International Relations
theory 9
Bakhtin’s dialogism and its value for International
Relations 20
Towards the relational study of international relations 26
3 Liminality in the politics of becoming 29
The security imaginary 30
The alteration of the security imaginary 34
Foucaultian discourse analysis 49
4 ‘Becoming European’ as identity politics:
Europe old and new 55
Europe, ‘Europe’, and ‘Europe but not Europe’ 57
‘Old’ and ‘new’ Europe 64
‘Modern’ and ‘postmodern’ Europe 67
Polish and Baltic responses to ‘liminal Europeanness’ 73
Conclusion 80