Memories and horizons : the legacy of the Central and Eastern European intellectuals in exile and the 'reunification' of Europe

Abstract

The fundamental aim of my paper is to shed light on the influence that Central and Eastern European intellectuals in the Exile, especially in London and Paris, had on the active promotion of plans and strategies to implement an eventual accession of the Central and Eastern European Countries (ceecs) to the European Communities. Through the use of a very determinate discourse and use of language, based in the so-called «Return to Europe» slogan, these movements created a sometimes noticeable impact in the media (thanks also to their links with Radio Free Europe) and triggered a fundamental historical development as the current Eastward enlargement of the European Union (eu), thus linking memories and horizons of the process of European integration.