The image of may 1968 student protests in the media of France and the European communities

Bulavintsev Nikita Valerievich

The events of May 1968 are perceived differently in France and within the institutions of the European Union. The image of the events has remained controversial both in public and scientific discourse for many years. The article analyzes the reports of the French press and publications of journals published by the institutions of the European Communities in order to identify the specific features of the perception of the May events at the European level. The author demonstrates that despite the presence of common characteristics in the image of the protests, there are distinctive features of the perception of the May events within the European Communities. The publications of the «European Community» journal criticize the national policy and the inability of national governments to respond to the young people’s unrest; the problems that caused student discontent are perceived as pan-European, thus they can only be resolved through the institutions of European Communities. The author states that the positive image of the French May, which has developed in the European Union, is an expected phenomenon.

Keywords:may 1968, European Union, «European Community» journal, Le Monde, Le Figaro, R. Aron.