Us vs Other: The Baltic States’ and Georgia’s Pathways to Europe (1991-2004)

This article is inspired by the empirical puzzle that the comparison of the Baltic states’ and Georgia’s European integration cases embody during the period of 1991- 2004, – that is from the break up of the Soviet Union to when Baltic States became the members of the European Union and Georgia was included in the European Neighbourhood Policy. By comparing EU policy and discursive practices towards the Baltic states and Georgia during these 13 years of their independence, the author finds that the different pathways of their European integration were shaped in light of the distinctive perception of Balts’ and Georgians’ European identity held by the EU. European identity is scrutinized as an operational social construction in the EU’s hands that often serves as a reason/justification for more or less European integration. The subsequent findings are theoretically interpreted through Discursive Institutionalism along with the methodology of Discourse Analysis, that discerns the differences in the EU’s manner of communication towards the Baltic states and Georgia in its foreign policy towards the two.