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# Europeans and their identity
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/18736/
- Published: 2006-10-07T14:10:32.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:35:21.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:23

**by Jessica Reed** (still reporting from the [European Citizens Consultation](http://www.european-citizens-consultations.eu/?ref=opendemocracy.net))

Daniel Debomy is the director of OPTEM, the opinion search agency who was in charge of selecting the ECC participants throughout Europe. He gave a speech, en francais, about "what Europeans think of Europe?", and narrowed the whole, gigantic problematic to a couple of main issues - he only had ten minutes to give his speech!

**\- Is there such a thing as a European identity?** Debomy says that whenever Europeans are asked this qustion they often look startled and disconcerted, thinking about the differences between our countries and cultures first and foremost. But then a few common traits come to mind: a common history, a common love for heritage and culture, a dep seated respect for the environment and diversity, and (you saw it coming) a growing gap between the "North American" perspective and ours.

**\- Common expectations:** All europeans are worried when facing the challenges of globalization, and usually feel protective of the social European model.

**\- How do EU citizens feel towards Europe?** Quite happy, but a bit confused: an awful lot of them feel they don´t understand quite well its Institutions, from which they expect more transparency. They also want to see more results from common action, which they feel are not visible enough.