Ilija Trojanov on Europe's complex identity

Bulgarian-born author, Ilija Trojanov, who has lived in many different countries and is currently lecturing in Vienna, criticises the equation of the EU with Europe: "The EU has taken it upon itself to create a European identity. This is absurd. No one in their right mind would doubt that for example Ukraine is part of Europe's identity. The attempts to define European tradition as a Christian tradition are also humbug. To give just one example: the western part of Europe, namely Spain, was not only predominantly Islamic for 800 years, but was also unusually multicultural in a positive sense and was characterised by a religious tolerance we can only dream of today. In terms of its identity, Europe is much more diverse and complex than current political discussion allows."

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