Repository. Research Institute University UR 3 2 0 9 4 21 P European Institute. Cadmus, EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE EUI EUI WORKING PAPERS on University EU Enlargement to the Baltic States The Political Implications of the Access European Open Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies T eija RSC No. 2001/21 Author(s). Available T The iilikainen 2020. © in Library EUI the by produced version Digitised Repository. Research Institute University European European Institute University European 3 3 0001 0034 5929 6 Institute. Cadmus, on University Access European Open Author(s). Available The 2020. © in Library EUI the by produced version Digitised Repository. Research Institute University European Institute. Cadmus, on University Tiilikainen: Access EUI Working Paper RSC No. 2001/21 European Open The Political Implications ofthe EU Enlargement to the Baltic States Author(s). Available The 2020. © in Library EUI the by produced version Digitised Repository. Research Institute University European Institute. Cadmus, Working Papers and Policy Papers are alsotake availablethe on formthe website of ofWorking the EuropeanPapers, Policyintegration Papers and andpublic books. policy Most in ofEurope. the ResearchThe Robertpublications Schuman Centre was set up by the High Council of the EUI in Studies. European Forum to becomePublicationsRSC-Welcome.htm. the Robert In SchumanRobert 1999, Centre Schuman thefor CentreAdvanced Centre for merged Advanced with Studies: the http://www.iue.it/RSC/ 1993 1993 to carry out disciplinary and interdisciplinary research in the areas of on University Access European Open Author(s). Available The 2020. © in Library EUI the by produced version Digitised Repository. Research Institute University European Institute. EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE, FLORENCE Cadmus, on BADIA FIESOLANA, SAN DOMENICO (FI) University Access EUI Working Paper EU Enlargement to the Baltic States ROBERT SCHUMAN CENTRE The Political Implications the of Implications The Political European FOR ADVANCED STUDIES Open TEIJA TlILIKAINEN University ofHelsinki Author(s). Available The 2020. © RSC RSC in No. No. Library 2001/21 EUI the by produced 3 2 1 .0 2 0 9 WP version Digitised Repository. Research Institute University European Institute. Cadmus, on University No part ofthis paper may be reproduced in any form Access European Open without permission author. ofpermission the without I - 50016 San Domenico (FI) European University Institute European Institute University Printed in Italy in June 2001 Printed Junein Italy in 2001 © 2001 © TeijaTiilikainen 2001 Author(s). Available All rights reserved. rights All Badia Fiesolana The 2020. © in Italy Library EUI the by produced version Digitised Repository. Research Institute University European The Robert Schuman Centre’s Programme on Eastern Europe promotes the and style papersofthe in series isvaried, however, two areasresearchof havebeen relations with Central and Eastern Europe are theat centre ofattention.Challenges, The scope opportunities and dilemmas developmentconfronting ofinterdisciplinary the research focusing on EuropeanCentral and Eastern UnionEurope. in its This paper was written within the project on The Eastward Enlargement of the Visitors invited to the Institute under the auspices ofthe Centre’s 2/Programme, Democratic as Consolidation in Central and Eastern Europe prioritized: The Working Papers series the Robert AcademyFinland. ofForinformation onthis and other projectsat EasternEurope on Schuman which Centre,was set up Europeanbyplease Union: the the RobertCases ofcontact Schumanthe Baltic CentreStates - Estonia,through ProfessorLatvia, the and Lithuania, support of Janthe well Zielonkaas researchers at the Institute, are eligible to contribute. ([email protected]). 1/ The1/ EU Enlargement Eastward: Utility, Visibility, Implications Institute. Cadmus, on University Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Access European Open Programme on Eastern Europe Author(s). Available The 2020. © in Library EUI the by produced version Digitised Repository. Research Institute University European Institute. Cadmus, on University Access European Open Author(s). Available The 2020. © in Library EUI the by produced version Digitised Introduction Repository. The Baltic states are the first former Soviet republics that will join the project of European unification. They will even be the first new members of the EU with unsettled questions with Russia. All of the three Baltic states have declared that Research membership in the EU is only a partial solution to their present political goals - the full solution being memberships both in the EU and Nato. There are a number of internal as well as external factors linked with the Baltic states due to which the Institute Baltic enlargement of the EU will undoubtedly bring a new political dimension to the EU agenda. University The Baltic enlargement, as a part of the Eastern enlargement of the EU, will pose great challenges to the EU as well as to the new Member States themselves. In this presentation I will focus upon the political challenges of the Baltic enlargement. Most of these political challenges originate in the immediate history of the Baltic European states as an annexed part of the Soviet Union. They can, however, be divided into Institute. two groups on the basis of whether the historical conditions reflect themselves in their political thinking and identity or in social and political structures. A third Cadmus, group of political challenges will consist of those changes that the Baltic enlargement on will bring to the EU system concerning its borders and territory as well as its University political institutions. Access This discussion dealing with the political challenges of the Baltic enlargement European of the EU is not in any case meant to understate the political value of the EU Open enlargement and has therefore to be put into its proper framework. The spread of the project of European integration into the Central and Eastern European new Author(s). democracies has constituted one of the self-given dimensions of integration since the Available beginning of the 1990's. Any critical evaluations related to the enlargement almost The 2020. without exception deal with its various details purporting to contribute to the better © adaptation of the EU to the enlargement project. The purpose of this criticism is not in to question itself the enlargement. Library The division of the Baltic States into two groups as far as the enlargement strategy of the EU is concerned will not be addressed in this article whose core EUI assumption is that in due course all the three Baltic States will be members of the the EU. by produced version Digitised National Identity in Explaining National Policies Repository. In the stable system of the Cold War subjective factors like national identities did not seem to have much importance as far as the explanation of foreign policies was concerned. It appeared as if systemic factors, factors connected with the bipolar Research division of powers as the backbone of the international system, could explain a major part of the states’ international action. In the 1990's, that has usually been characterised as a period of transition in international politics, a return to national Institute identities has been necessary in order to cope with the vast changes that have made themselves evident after the collapse of the Cold War system1. The concept of national identity refers to the political self-understanding of a University nation as an important basis for its policy and political choices. A national identity is not, as it is usually believed, a unitary phenomenon. It is based upon a number of historical and cultural traditions the interpretation and application of which vary from European context to context. As a basis for a foreign policy, national identities express themselves as worldviews, that is, as subjective interpretations concerning the Institute. international environment and one’s own position in it. These worldviews Cadmus, furthermore express a set of values functioning as the value basis for a given policy. on University The key characteristics of the Baltic identities can, consequently, be used when it comes to the understanding of their foreign policies and, at a later stage, of Access their policies and position as a part of an integrated Europe. The most important European aspect of the Baltic national identities is formed by their ways of conceptualising Open their statehood. The Balts had never consented themselves to the annexation of their territories to the Soviet Union. It was seen as an illegal act the consequence of which being that the Balts believed in the existence of their statehood throughout the Author(s). Available occupation2. This belief was strengthened by the non-recognition policies of a majority of the Western states as far as the valid title of the Soviet Union over the The 2020. © Baltic territories was concerned. in The refusal of accepting an interruption in their statehood has formed the key basis for all Baltic policies after the restoration of their full sovereignties in the Library 1990's. The Baltic countries have applied for membership in all of the key Western EUI institutions, not on the basis of a more or less instrumental logic and reasoning, but on the basis of their political identities and historical position on the Western the political map3. An Estonian expert, Toivo Klaar, has even claimed that the by restoration of the Estonian independence