National Citizenship as Representative of European Citizenship

Since antiquity citizens have their participating role in judicial and political functions. The concept underlying the term "citizenship" persists today, "citizenship" designating the legal status that allows a person to take part to state life by direct participation by referendum or indirect participation by delegating powers to the parliament as representatives of its exercise. Etymologically speaking, the term "citizen" refers to those who have civil and political rights, and are subject to certain obligations instead. The meaning of the concept of citizenship is extended during the development of the state political life being individualized to the nation. It is necessary to underline that the population of a state or nation finds its identity by means of citizenship, and the other two constituent elements of the state, territory and sovereignty, complete the state-building algorithm. The theme addressed, the national citizenship as representative of citizenship, is considered to be a future question in exercising the European rights conferred to any state citizen upon the accession of their state to the European Community. In this respect, European citizenship is considered to be a different kind of collective identity that ignores the territory or nation, the "European citizen" expressing loyalty to the EU institutions and participating in cross-border governance. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.