Between the national past and (an) European future

The paper deals with the degree of openness of the local political institutions towards European initiatives and mark the elements of cooperation and tensions in communication between European institutions and local actors engaged in the implementation of European initiatives. The focus is on the cultural or culture-determined obstacles bearing upon the (lack of) understanding between the local and foreign, primarily European institutions. The paper presents data obtained though in depth interviews with political elite members. The analysis follows several cultural dimensions such as: communication, values,, life style,, material culture, and emphasizes existing differences on each of them. Nevertheless, the basic conclusion contends that these differences, although not negligible, are not insurmountable