The cornerstone of economic nationalism: national self-image

Journal article


Mikecz, R. 2019. The cornerstone of economic nationalism: national self-image. Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences. 12 (4), pp. 587-608. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-019-00271-5
AuthorsMikecz, R.
Abstract

The focus of this article is Estonia’s post-socialist economic transition and the reasons behind the liberal nature of the country’s economic policies. I argue that the self-image of a nation plays a significant role in shaping its economic policies. Objectives associated with economic nationalism can be achieved through various means that can include strategies of economic liberalism as well. Thus, the concepts of economic nationalism and economic liberalism are not a dichotomy. I examine the construction of the Estonian self-image through the discourses of radical individualism and industriousness, historical suffering, desire for freedom and return to Europe and sense of abandonment. By showing how these discourses interact with the liberal paradigm, I claim that Estonian policy-makers chose liberal economic policies because they perceived them to most efectively serve their objectives. When economic policies are examined in view of the national self-image and motivation of policy-makers, the incongruence between economic nationalism and liberal policies disappears.

KeywordsEconomic nationalism; liberalism; post-socialist transition; Estonia; Baltic; Central and Eastern Europe
Year2019
JournalFudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Journal citation12 (4), pp. 587-608
PublisherSpringer Nature
ISSN1674-0750
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-019-00271-5
Official URLhttp://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-019-00271-5
Related URLhttps://link.springer.com/
Publication dates
Online23 Sep 2019
Publication process dates
Accepted25 Jul 2019
Deposited25 Nov 2019
Accepted author manuscript
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Additional information

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in [Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences]. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-019-00271-5

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