Global Warming and European Political Identity

The aim of this chapter is to assess if and to what extent the positions and policies of the European Union against global warming can help to define the Europeans’ political identity and to strengthen the legitimacy of the European institutions. Even before the efficacy of the institutions in respecting the commitments and the effective ability of the Europeans to base their political choices on the values that inspire the anti-climate change policies, the possibility that they help build the political identity of the Europeans will however depend on the relevance that the Europeans attribute to the threat of global warming. Political identity is not produced by simply sharing values and principles, but by sharing the political response to the challenge that a particular group of individuals sees as decisive. The role that the European policies against global warming can have in deepening and stabilising the Europeans’ political identity, depends, last of all, on recognising the central importance of the climate change challenge and the ability of the Europeans to keep up ethically correct policies when they lead to making sacrifices in terms of well-being.