| Publication |
2008.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article examines the role of Balkanism in Bulgarian EU accession discourses
during the period that preceded the country's membership of the EU. It focuses on political
cartoons ? regarded as indicative of broader societal discourses ? which activate the 'journey'
or 'motion' metaphor that dominated the imagery of EU integration. The article was
prompted by a perceived incongruity in the study of the discursive encounter between the
West and the Balkans. While most analysis concentrates on the Western or European self, by
examining EU accession discourses in Bulgaria, this article turns to the Balkans' responses to
Western constructions. The study brings to light a decidedly mixed picture. Even though the
crucial role of Balkanist representations and interpretations in Bulgarian EU accession
discourses cannot be denied, alternative constructions are certainly present. They range
from ambiguity and indifference to more overt challenges to the binary oppositions that
characterize Balkanism.
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