Europe’s cosmopolitan identity: images of unity in diversity in the Euro

An important viewpoint on images of Europe can be gained analysing the idea of “unity in diversity”. This motto is enshrined in the European institutions official discourse and is a recurring element of contemporary narratives of European identity. This chapter traces, first, the emerging of that narrative, both in official discourse and in scholarly interpretation. Subsequently, the chapter develops a case study of one main embodiment of the narrative of “unity in diversity”: the images representing Europe on the common currency, the Euro. By analysing the process and context through which the Euros have come to symbolise Europe in a series of abstract bridges and doors, as well as the critical reception they have sparked, a specific perspective can be gained on the models of identity that are relevant to Europe today.