European Union integration was conceived as a process of gradual convergence of different national social norms and values through common supranational institutions; thus a new EU-influenced national identity had to harmoniously merge with old national traits. In-depth research, based on interviews and other triangulating techniques in two post-communist Balkan countries, Bulgaria and Macedonia, suggests that the process of EU integration, with respect to national identities, is more complex than previously thought. The new national identity, influenced by EU integration, for those who accept it, does not always join seamlessly with old national traits. It may completely replace national loyalty, or, alternatively, be completely marginalized by a revival of ethnic nationalism.

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Forming focus groups as a particular technique for gathering information gives excellent results in tracing group discursive dynamics. Compared to individual interviews, however, it has an inherent setback. Expressing opinions without sufficient confidentiality protection makes informants hesitant. Trying to trace group dynamics at any cost may lead to losing important information regarding the research question. This research note proposes a new technique, interactive interviews, that combines the strengths of individual and group formats. In this technique, the researcher reproduces alternative discourses trying to engage informants in discursive dynamics identical to that found in focus groups. The results cover not only the eventual discursive change in informants, but also the discursive tensions that the researcher experiences. This note presents evidence of the testing of this technique on a case dealing with the role of EU integration on postcommunist democratization in Bulgaria.

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