National identity and international politics: an analysis of Romania's post-communist foreign policy imaginary (1990-1996)

Abstract

The central concern of this article is to engage with Romania's postcommunist foreign policy imaginary during 1990-1996 by looking at it through the lens of national identity. To achieve that goal, the argument initially outlines an inter-disciplinary perspective of national identity, which associates insights from four academic literatures: constructivism, nationalism studies, collective memory and international recognition. National identity formation thus emerges as a dual process that depends on both domestic and international factors. The self-images feeding into Romania's national identity are revealed by analysing the discourses of elites as primary actors in the foreign policy realm. The Romanian foreign policy imaginary featured three main identity themes that were intensely re-defined between 1990 and 1996: "European", "non-Balkan" and "security provider". These self-images drew meaning from enduring interpretations of the nation's remembered past, helping to position Romania in its quest for a post-communist national identity and international role.