For (mainly) western Europeans : is the Northern /Southern European thing important to you? Do you strongly identify yourself as being part of either group before being European as a whole ?
Wou'd you be in favor of closer links between other countries of the same group (like an union within an union or something)? Where do you draw the line between southern and northern countries?
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I find that this division is only used to shit on southern europe and to be xenophobic against these countries.
But yeah, the cultural division is noticeable
True, seems like a similar situation to what's often pointed out about Eastern Europe.
We're not "Western European" despite Portugal being the westernmost country in Europe.
I see myself as Nordic before I see myself as European, and I believe this is true for most people from the Nordics.
Ditto
Agreed.
Danish people don’t really identify themselves as “nordic”.
Not before Danish, but before European? How about Scandinavian?
He's wrong, or at least his impression is not representative. Everybody I know identifies themselves as Nordic long before a vague 'European', and even when we're not specifically using the term 'Nordisk', there's a very clear sense of solidarity with the other Nordic countries that isn't extended to the rest of Europe, even Germany.
Other than danish. We really only classify ourselves as Scandinavian if anything. I don’t think we care enough. Danish culture is way more germanic than any other northern european country, which might have something to do with it?
What are you talking about? Yes we absolutely do
I don’t know any danes who does that. Where you from in Denmark? (Region)
For me the split is butter people vs olive oil people.
I like the idea of MED7, with head of the government meeting and talking about problems of the Southern Europe.
I consider as Southern Europe Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Malta, Greece and Cyprus. This could also include Balkans but I decided to only talk about EU members. The rest countries obviously don't all belong to Northern Europe. For example Croatia could easily be included in the South(why didn't I include her?)
We don't really use "Northern European", certainly not as an identity marker, and I'm not even sure what countries are meant to fit the category - everything north of Germany?
Geographically northern and traditionally Lutheran.
Nope, rather : ancient followers of the Old Norse gods and speakers of Old Norse, ancient Norsemen + Finland.
I guess we'd come under Northern Europe, but it's not something I really think of or identify with or anything. As for closer links, eh, maybe, nothing too big or important though.
Sorry pal, but you're definitely part of a Western Europe.
Of course! And that's what I would say first and foremost. But talking of a north/south divide, we are certainly not Southern Europe.
I'd class us as Western Europe, but the UK does go further North than Denmark which is usually classed as Northern Europe, which is interesting.
Important to me individually? No. Though I can see it being an important distinction in different social sciences and/or economics. Hamelink have discussed it in relation to international communications.
Do I identify myself with my block? Yes. Identity is multifaceted, and it’s just another layer. I view myself as a Swede, Northern European, European and as a citizen of the world (as cheesy and idealistic as that is). The extent to which I identify as Northern European is contextual.
There’s a Swedish comedian with Indian heritage who’s said that he feels Scanian when visiting Stockholm, Swedish when going to the U.S and Indian when he’s in India. I felt very Northern European when I was in Italy, but I don’t feel like a Northern European in Sweden.
And yes, I’m in favour of closer relations with the other countries in the same group. We actually already have The Nordic Council, so to some extent we’re already doing it.
Where the lines are drawn is difficult though, if for no other reason that it’s a continuum with, as far as I’m aware (as an uneducated person), clear criteria for what constitutes northern and southern countries respectively.
No I don’t see myself as Northern European, I see myself only as European. I have more in common personally with the culture of the Mediterranean countries in Southern Europe and I’ve been there a lot more than in the Nordics, so I’d never say I’m more Northern than Southern. I’m European first, My city second and my country last.
There is only and divide that matters, and it is the salty liquorice border. It runs around Holstein in Germany and makes an inroad in the Netherlands.
Southern : Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Cyprus.
Western : France, UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria.
Northern : Iceland, Danemark, Sweden, Norway, Finland.
I feel closer to Northern European than Southern European culturally, even if Wallonia's current mother's tongue is French. After all, we were part of the Holy Roman Empire from its foundation until 1795, and we are historically linked a lot to Flanders and the Netherlands too, so, if we hadn't lost our language (Walloon dialects), we would be the most "germanised" Latins alongside the Alsaciens.
I think the popular perception of Austria is more that it is Central Europe.
I'd say Germany and arguably Switzerland as well.
Not such thing such as "central Europe" in my culture : west, north, east and south.
not at all.
If i had to put Poland in one it would be definitly northen based on social interactions and work ethics
When it comes to north and south in Europe I divide it at the Alps. Everything that's north of the Alps is Northern Europe and vice versa. But obviously, if I can I'd rather call countries like The Netherlands or UK West European.
Being from Finland, which is obviously one of the most northernmost countries in Europe, I've always identified as North-European. More Nordic, really, but still. Whenever I'm in the States and people ask me where I'm from I always open with "Northern Europe" and then elaborate if necessary.
Well, we already have the Nordic Council which includes Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. I think we as Nordics need to be together, since alone we're all small countries but together we're a very strong economy. While there has been many wars between the Nordic countries, Sweden and Denmark mainly, this type of co-operation goes a long way back and all the Nordics are very closely linked. So, I don't think there is a need for closer links since the links are already very close.
No, it's not important to me. I'm simply European. Sometimes it is useful to use Northern, Western, Eastern, Southern as a geographic marker in certain contexts, but this is not a deeper thing for me or even part of my identity. The beautiful thing about Europe is that diversity comes together to form unity.
Not to me. I see myself as Portuguese and European. Don't feel any particular connection to countries just because they're of a similar latitude to mine.
West is best
Whales plz
It is in some way, even though I feel a bit more of nuance is needed.
For example, I can understand the concept of Southern Europe as a whole, but there is a noticeable west-east divide within these countries too: South-Western (Portugal & Spain), South-Central (Italy) and South-Eastern (Greece + maybe Albania and former Yugoslavia), from more liberal to more conservative in mindset.
The real beef, however, is between Western Europe and Eastern Europe (don't believe for a second in that "Central Europe" bullshit, these self-proclaimed countries that freak out when called "Eastern" are the first ones to rage against the decadent West, so that's it).