Introduction: Imagining “Europe” in Times of War and Crises: Youth Perceptions of European Integration in its Periphery

This chapter sets the conceptual and theoretical scene for the broader focus of this volume, which aims to explore the perceptions attached to the EU integration by the young population in its “periphery”. In line with the research questions of the LEAP (“Linking to Europe at the Periphery”) Jean Monnet Network, which aims to explore how the EU integration is taught, learned, experienced and contested at the periphery of the EU, the chapter aims to kick-off the discussion on the perceptions of the EU integration in the periphery mainly against the background of numerous crises characterising the European project lately. After endeavouring to conceptually spot the “periphery” of the EU integration, we delve into the perception studies, focusing on the perceptions of the EU integration by the young population in the “periphery”. The chapter also elaborates on the research methodology of the volume, as well as introducing the structure of the chapters of the book.