Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : This contribution identifies a number of paradoxes which characterize the definition of a European citizenship. We show the democratic principles can be turned into pure symbols of membership, thus contributing to essentialize the citizenship. Drawing a distinction between membership and identity, we contend that a definition of the citizenship in terms of membership overlooks the specific dynamics of identity formation in the contemporary world, in particular the dimension of individuation and reflexivity underlying identification processes, seen primarily as communicational acts. Rather than a logic of memberships, a truly political citizenship requires a logic of identities within a common communication space.