On Europeanisation, national sentiments and confused identities in Georgia

This paper analyses Georgians' popular online discourses on Europeanisation in the period between Georgia's initialling and signing of the Association Agreement with the EU (November 2013-June 2014). It investigates the ambivalence encountered by Georgians: Despite their long-lasting aspiration towards EU integration, hopes of gaining political security, economic stability, and cultural integration are accompanied by doubts and fears of asymmetric power relations, diminishing national sovereignty, and declining national identity. Despite these doubts, EU integration is considered to be the only right choice for the country, encouraging Georgians, who readily perform their pro-European aspirations on the international “front stage”, to push their uncertainties and respective national sentiments to the domestic “backstage”.