The Scope and Meaning of the Term European Values As
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THE SCOPE AND MEANING… UDC070.19(497.7)(047.31) THE SCOPE AND MEANING OF THE TERM EUROPEAN VALUES AS USED IN MACEDONIAN PRINT MEDIA Loreta Georgievska-Jakovleva; Mishel Pavlovski Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia Abstract: The paper argues that the term European values I. INTRODUCTION is an umbrella term as its exact meaning is not really clear. European values are frequently mentioned and discussed A. Starting Position and Premise in the Republic of Macedonia, especially in the context of European identity is based on European values, which Macedonian identity and the so-called “name dispute” with should be shared by all member-states of the European Greece. After 2008, when Macedonia was passed for NATO Union. The European Union is viewed today as a membership (and her ongoing EU candidacy status), the term European values, especially in the media, has been the community of nations whose cultural specifics provide subject to extensive discussion, mostly with negative the building blocks for the diverse unity of the continent, connotations. The aim of this paper and presented based on the values that are the source of EU’s power. As research is to analyze what Macedonian print media a country candidate for EU membership, the Republic of qualify as European values and if said definitions are in Macedonia should contribute to the creation of and accordance with the Lisbon Treaty’s definitions. The paper adherence to those values. is based on a research project titled The Scope and Meaning of the Term European Values as Used by Macedonian Print B. Certain Dilemmas Regarding the Terms Value and Media. The project used the Treaty of Lisbon to define a set European Values of attributes for the term European values in six The creation of rules based on a discourse of values is Macedonian print media: the dailies, “Nova Makedonija”, not an easy task. There are differences in opinions, in “Utrinski vesnik”, "Dnevnik”, “Vest”, “Večer”, and the weekly “Fokus”. This paper presents the main results of the terms of which values should be considered essential or research. core, namely those that provide the foundations for a system of values. Hence, it means that the term value is Keywords: European values, European identity, core values, not universal (although there are some basic premises Macedonian print media, Treaty of Lisbon about its contents and meaning that we may consider necessary). 141 КУЛТУРА / CULTURE, 11/ 2015 In order to determine the scope and meaning of the ● Are there differences between the European values term European values, we need to define its listed in the Treaty of Lisbon and the accepted values characteristics and attributes: from a cultural point of in Macedonia? view, [a]"value is a designation that is given to a text, ● Do the differences of various national value systems object or person, by the very act of evaluation or indicate a possibility for their unification into a appraisal. However, we can’t consider any action common system of European values that would presenting marks to be an act of evaluation, but only reflect that common European identity? those [...] which use conscious criteria. Value, therefore, is a relative quantity dependent on the determinants of the D. Research Subject act of attribution." (Biti, 2000) Determine the scope and meaning of the term The content of the term European values is defined in European Values as used in Macedonian print media: the several documents of the European Union. The EU dailies, "Nova Makedonija", "Dnevnik", "Utrinski Vesnik", Constitution states: "The Union is founded on the values "Večer" and "Vest", and the weekly "Fokus”, in the period of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, 2009-2013. Fact 1: While it was quite clear what the term equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, European values meant and what it implied in the including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. starting period of imagining the European Union, the These values are common to the Member States in a decision that the EU should extend its borders made society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, everything far more complicated. The consensus on the justice, solidarity and equality between women and men self-explanatory and well- defined system of common prevail." ["The founding principles of the Union"] values in Western Europe no longer exists. Formulated in such a way, in view of the adopted Treaty Determined void in the knowledge set: In order to of Lisbon, European values in the system of values in examine the meaning of the term European values, we Western Europe acquire features clearly defined as: need to research what the elements and meanings added Dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, rights of citizens and to this umbrella-term entail, by different regional and justice. national cultures or, in our specific case - which are those We are interested in the notions that the term elements and meanings in Macedonian culture. European values holds for Macedonian print media and Explanation 1: Holm Sundhaussen: "The accession of the degree to which they coincide (or not) with the the countries of Southeast Europe into the EU brings values defined in the Western European system. about the need for re-examination of the term common European values, which will take into account the C. Research Questions emergence and the changes of the national value systems Starting from the premise listed above, it is of special valid in the countries of that region." [Зундхаусен] The importance to determine the following: lack of empirical study of value systems in these ● Which are the values, beliefs and images perceived as countries emphasized the urgent need for studies and European in the Republic of Macedonia today? research projects of this type – full integration is not 142 THE SCOPE AND MEANING… possible without integration of those value systems into values”, so that the scope and meaning of the term and the so-called European identity. possible and eventual discrepancies may be ascertained Objective 1: Fill in part of the identified vacuum of in comparison to the Western European understanding knowledge. One possibility to compensate that void is to and application of the term. follow the national media as an important factor in the The research is based on data collection, their creation and presentation of public opinion. thematic classification, followed by an analysis of the Fact 2: Basic values are non-negotiable. media’s discourse of the said term. Although the given Determined void in the knowledge set 2: In order subject matter and research interest, we could encounter to determine whether the Republic of Macedonia accepts several different thematically linked articles, such as the basic European values prescribed by the Lisbon those that speak about the different markers and Treaty, we need to compare the features and attributes of attributes that help define the term European values (for the core values contained in that umbrella-term with the example, articles on the subject matter of aligning and meanings that the same term carries in the Republic of adjusting Macedonian to European legislature, or those Macedonia. tied to civil society), we decided not to focus on said Explanation 2: According to Diebold, those who articles. The decision was made with the following goal in dispute the values that are considered non-negotiable mind: pinpointing which values are considered European "position themselves out of the debate". [Зундхаусен]. by contemporary Macedonian society, i.e., which values However, that also implies the following: when no are considered as European. The articles that would only consensus can be reached on those basic rules, only focus on specific characteristics and attributes of the peaceful break-up (or "coexistence") or use of force term value in a comparative Macedonian and European remain as viable options. context, could be the subject of another research whose Objective 2: goals are larger in scope. Examine and determine whether the media included The paper starts with the premise that Macedonian in the survey believe that Macedonia can join the debate print media provide information on a part of the on European values and which specific aspects are to be characteristics and attributes of European values, while considered negotiable or non-negotiable. neglecting others. Hence, the paper’s premise rests on the assumption that what is seen, in part, as a European II. METHODOLOGY value stands in confrontation with Macedonian traditional values. Based on the conclusion that values are characterized In order for the validity of the thesis to be tested, we by a selection of attributes, one based on certain measures, employed the following methodology: by selecting from while examining which particular characteristics and the search results of the term European values found in attributes factor into the term European values in the electronic editions of said publications, we identified Macedonian print media. those articles that explicitly contain the term. The The starting point of the research revolved around selected articles are then thematically classified (by using identifying which articles contained the term “European the term’s established characteristics and attributes as 143 КУЛТУРА / CULTURE, 11/ 2015 given by the Lisbon Treaty) and statistically processed, Macedonia’s Euro-scepticism has risen, and with that, the so that quantifiable indicators can be derived. Apart from possibility for even greater inconsistencies in the term’s the thematic classification, the data is classified by year of scope between the EU member states and Macedonia as publication, author, and genre. Then, by applying a candidate country. discourse analysis, conclusions are drawn. The five dailies used in the research include: “Nova III. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Makedonija”, “Utrinski vesnik”, "Dnevnik”, “Vest”, “Večer”, with the sixth publication being the weekly Table 1 presents the total number of identified “Fokus”, during the period of 2009-2013.