The Perception of Boundaries: Doors and Walls of the European Common House

This paper discusses elements of identity and alterity vis-à-vis the topical European motto “Unity in Diversity”. Within its colossal organisation, the European Union hosts a varied macrocosm whose multiculturality is protected and enshrined in Community law . However, as the EU enlarges eastwards and beyond, the dilemma of ‘where European borders end’ inevitably comes to the fore. The analysis focuses on the use of space metaphors in the language of EU-related documents to express the idea of a political, geographical and linguistic Community. Particular reference is made to the metaphor of the “Common European House”, which is used in a variety of contexts in EU texts and legislation. It was coined by Gorbachev in one of his speeches in 1987 to portray the image of a political space where Eastern and Western European inhabitants lived together peacefully, complying with the same rules and protecting their common space against external threats (Schäffner 1996). The image of the house has, since then, inspired many other metaphors related to space, like the house walls of Europe (its internal borders) or its doors, which fling open to new Member States or slam in the face of unwanted ‘aspirants’. As diametrically opposed to the idea of the house is the expression ‘Fortress Europe’: a place full of restrictions and barriers where non-members are denied access to the exclusive privileges of the common hearth. The ‘Fortress’ metaphor often emerges in debates on asylum and immigration regulations to depict Europe not as a ‘welcoming roof’ but rather as an inaccessible stronghold to asylum seekers, migrant workers and their families. The study investigates the different uses and occurrences of these two dichotomous metaphors with the aim to highlight their ideological implications in EU-related documents. The comparative language analysis is carried out on a corpus of texts issued on official websites by, respectively, the European Union institutions and NGOs involved in the protection of minorities and human rights.