More than four decades after joining the European Union, Greece is frequently cited as an example of a country that has combined European integration with the strong preservation of its own national identity.
While fears can occasionally be heard in candidate countries that EU membership entails giving up one's language, culture, or traditions, daily life in Greece paints a different picture.
From language and script, through cultural heritage, to the way the state presents its history, Greek identity remains powerfully present in the public sphere, despite the country having been an EU member state since 1981.
The European Union does not dictate national identity
One of the most common misconceptions among the public in candidate countries is that the European Union implies cultural or linguistic uniformity. However, European treaties explicitly define one of the Union's core values as quite the opposite.
Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union states that the EU "shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe's cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced." At the same time, Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU provides that the Union's role in the field of culture is primarily to support member states, while responsibility for preserving national culture remains firmly in their hands.
In other words, the European Union does not prescribe how a nation should preserve its identity, but leaves member states to shape their own cultural policy.
Thessaloniki as an example of identity preservation
This is clearly visible in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city. Signs on state institutions, museums, public facilities, and monuments are, almost without exception, written in the Greek language and script. At tourist locations, English translations are often available, but Greek remains the primary language of the public space.
The same approach applies to museums, where exhibitions dedicated to Ancient Greece, Byzantium, Macedonian history, and the modern Greek state are presented primarily in Greek, with additional translations provided for foreign visitors.
This approach demonstrates that membership of the European Union has not altered the way Greece showcases its history, culture, and national heritage.
European funds for preserving cultural heritage
Paradoxically, it is often the European Union itself that financially supports the preservation of member states' national identities. Through programmes such as Creative Europe, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Cohesion Fund, funding has been provided in recent years for the restoration of numerous Greek museums, archaeological sites, and cultural monuments.
Among the projects that have received European support are the restoration of Byzantine monuments in Thessaloniki, the protection of archaeological sites, the digitisation of museum collections, and the upgrading of cultural infrastructure. One such project is the Ancient Agora, whose restoration, excavation, and landscaping were co-financed directly by EU funds.
In this way, European funding does not reshape the national identity of member states, but rather contributes to its preservation and presentation.
From the White Tower to Byzantine churches: European money for Greek heritage
A stroll through Thessaloniki shows that European integration has not changed the way Greece nurtures its identity. The White Tower, the Rotunda, the Church of Saint Demetrius, the Museum of Byzantine Culture, and numerous other monuments form the core of the city's cultural identity, and many of them have been restored and conserved with the backing of European funds.
Among the most significant projects are the restoration of Byzantine monuments and the enhancement of their protection through programmes funded by European regional development funds.
Today, Thessaloniki boasts 15 Early Christian and Byzantine monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, leading many to call it an "open-air museum of Byzantium". Protecting these sites remains the responsibility of the Greek state, while the European Union provides financial support through various programmes for their restoration, digitisation, and accessibility for citizens and tourists alike.
The Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, named European Museum of the Year, serves as an example of how national cultural heritage can simultaneously form part of the wider European cultural space without losing its authentic character.
Does membership change identity?
Greece's experience shows that European integration and the preservation of national identity are not mutually exclusive. More than forty years after joining the European Union, Greek remains the country's sole official language, the Greek alphabet continues to dominate public spaces daily, national holidays and traditions hold a central place in society, and cultural heritage remains a top priority for both national and European investment.
This is precisely why Greece offers an interesting model for Western Balkan countries currently on the path to EU accession. Rather than suppressing national identity, European Union membership demonstrates that safeguarding language, culture, and historical heritage remains the prerogative of the member states themselves, with the European framework serving as additional support for their protection.
The EU safeguards cultural diversity, It does not erase it
The European Union allocates substantial resources from its multi-year budget towards protecting the cultural heritage of its member states. Through programmes like the European Regional Development Fund and Creative Europe, funding is directed towards restoring historic sites, museums, and cultural infrastructure, as well as supporting projects by cultural institutions, arts organisations, and libraries across Europe.
The goal of these programmes is not to forge a single cultural identity, but to safeguard the diversity that stands as one of the EU's foundational values. The Union's motto, "United in Diversity", underlines that while member states share common European values, they retain their own languages, traditions, and cultural heritage.
Today, the European Union has 24 official languages, and no member state has been required to alter its official language, script, or cultural symbols upon joining.
