Eurovision Winners and the European Hyphenated Identity

This thesis explores European identity through the European Union and the Eurovision Song Contest using Michael Walzer’s hyphenated American identity by expanding his argument to the EU, culture, and broadening the definition of diversity. Walzer had three main points about the American identity that makes it unique. First, a hyphen with a many side and a one side exist with no expectation of assimilation. Second, the should be a hyphen and can be emphasized. Third, there are unsuccessful patriotic fevers. On the political level, the EU has a hyphenated identity but fails with expectations of assimilation and successful patriotic fevers like Brexit. Walzer does not examine the cultural aspect of identity, this is where this thesis goes beyond his idea in examining European identity in the cultural institution of Eurovision. The literature and winning songs confirm that a hyphenated identity exists in Eurovision. I sorted the winning songs into three categories of diversity, national identity, and neutral. I did not reject two of my hypotheses, there were more neutral songs, and songs in diversity and national identity became common after 1992. The hypothesis I rejected was that national identity songs would be more common than diversity songs, this was not the case. I used Ukraine 2004 for diversity and Greece 2005 for national identity case studies. Overall, when there is a United States of Europe its identity will be the same as Walzer’s American identity. It is just not there yet, but with further European integration, it will.