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Europe has always been subject to nationally – and ideologically – based dissentions. But despite such intrinsic tensions, a specific European identity exists. Indeed, the political – rather than ethno-cultural – nature of the European project has managed to preserve national diversity. Every nation has thus been able to integrate the European idea in its national tradition. The dialectical nature of European identity also appears through the debates on the “European social model:” most political forces agree on the existence of such a model, but not on its definition. Those inherent tensions are more and more discussed in the public opinion. This is a noteworthy evolution, which reveals a growing ownership of the European project by its citizens.Sophie Heine, Researcher at the Université libre de Bruxelles, studies the resistances to European integration, the socioeconomic theories and the national identity. She notably published: 'Les réquisits démocratiques et sociaux du patriotisme constitutionnel' (Politique européenne, n° 19, printemps 2006) and 'Les débats sur la directive Bolkestein en Belgique' (Année sociale, 2005).Paul Magnette, Professor of Political Science at the Université libre de Bruxelles, is a specialist of European integration and political theory. He is the author of Au nom des peuples. Le malentendu constitutionnel européen (Paris, Les éditions du Cerf, 2006) et de What is the European Union? (New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005).