Political identity of Serbia: Constitutional patriotism approach

Abstract

In this text I examine a possible direction of reconciliation of ethno-cultural pluralism and democratic legitimacy, using the case of Serbia. The theory of constitutional patriotism is in the centre of this normative solution. The first part provides a critical review of the most influential liberal modes of political integration in multicultural states: liberal proceduralism, liberal nationalism and liberal multiculturalism. Later on, I explore dynamic of state and nation building in Serbia in historical perspective. In the final chapter I defend the thesis that political identity of Serbia should be embedded in political structures of society, rather then ethno-cultural characteristics of majority.

U tekstu ispitujem jedan mogući pravac pomirenja etno-kulturnog pluralizma i demokratske legitimnosti na primeru Srbije. Prvi deo teksta posvećen je kritičkom razmatranju najuticajnijih liberalnih modela izgradnje političkog identiteta u multikulturnim državama. U nastavku se bavim analizom dinamike izgradnje države i nacije u Srbiji. U poslednjem poglavlju zastupam tezu da politički identitet Srbije treba da bude utemeljen u političkoj strukturi društva, a ne u etno-kulturnim obeležjima većine. Teorija ustavnog patriotizma nalazi se u središtu predložene normativne solucije.