This book investigates how the concepts of security and identity are rhetorically constructed and deployed in the process of European Union and NATO enlargement. It examines the geopolitical project of enlargement, which is rooted in territorial conceptions of place, culture, and threat, and how it connects European security to unresolved questions of European borders and identity. The analysis focuses on the discourse surrounding enlargement, particularly how geopolitics and culture are bundled together, influencing political debate and transforming throughout the enlargement process. The book offers an in-depth look at the security discourses within countries that joined the EU or NATO in 2004, tracing the shift from military to more diffuse cultural issues and illuminating the link between security rhetoric and identity politics.

This book is recognized as a significant contribution to the study of European enlargement, offering a nuanced analysis of the interplay between security and identity. Scholars and practitioners in political geography and international relations find its examination of contemporary European political debates particularly insightful. The work is noted for its subtle and timely approach to understanding the rhetorical strategies employed in defining Europeanness and security. Its focus on the discourse surrounding enlargement provides a fresh perspective for those engaging with the complexities of the region.