Traditions of Citizenship in the European Union

Abstract

The articles in this Special Issue of Citizenship Studies explore the meanings and practices of citizenship in five European countries--Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. The creation of a European Union citizenship as a legal reality has raised important questions about the possibility of developing a common concept of citizenship on the basis of a variety of national traditions and understandings. We illustrate the richness of elements that throughout the member states of the Union constitute the idea and practice of citizenship, and reflect on their compatibility with the further construction of a European polity.