Europe's ability to be self-critical
Street parties, conferences and a Berlin declaration - The EU is making a jubilee out of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. But do the citizens of the 27 member states identify with today's European Union?
Dossier
Main focus of Friday, 16. March 2007
On March 25th, Europe will be celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Rome Treaty, a founding act of the European Union. As commemorations ... » more
On March 25th, Europe will be celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Rome Treaty, a founding act of the European Union. As commemorations are being prepared, the press is evaluating 50 years of Europe.
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Main focus of Tuesday, 9. May 2006
The Day of Europe being celebrated this May 9 provides numerous newspapers with an opportunity to comment on and analyse the European Union's future. Many ... » more
The Day of Europe being celebrated this May 9 provides numerous newspapers with an opportunity to comment on and analyse the European Union's future. Many evoke the identity crisis provoked by the enlargement process.
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EU-Birthday
The Independent - United Kingdom | Wednesday, 21. March 2007
The British daily's front page features a list of "50 reasons to love the EU" and also focuses on the reasons for celebration around the ... » more
The British daily's front page features a list of "50 reasons to love the EU" and also focuses on the reasons for celebration around the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. "It is a joyous coincidence that the anniversary should fall in the middle of the German presidency. What more conclusive evidence could there be of what the EU has achieved than around-the-clock festivities beneath the Brandenburg Gate? The symbol of Europe's post-war division has now become the most potent symbol of Europe's unity. ... In its 50 years, the EU has shown more cohesion than division, sometimes surprising itself. And it has become a model for international association that is admired around the world. Seen from the inside, it might seem short on efficiency, democracy and common purpose, but too often our critical introspection blinds us to its merits. The best testimonial for the European Union at 50 is the queue of would-be members clamouring to join."
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Dagens Nyheter - Sweden | Wednesday, 14. March 2007
The approach of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome on March 25 prompts the newspaper to review the situation in Europe. It takes a critical view of the implementation of the criteria laid down by British historian Timothy Garton Ash: » more
The approach of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome on March 25 prompts the newspaper to review the situation in Europe. It takes a critical view of the implementation of the criteria laid down by British historian Timothy Garton Ash: freedom, peace, rule of law, prosperity, diversity and solidarity: "Corruption is eroding freedom, particularly in the new Eastern European member states. Within the EU itself there are also democratic deficits. Peace appears to be guaranteed, but Russia is reviving old memories. When the Balkan Wars began, the US had to rush to the EU's aid because it lacked the power to deal with the situation on its own. Law and justice are fundamental in an open society, yet the EU is far from perfect. There are still lawless regions in the east and southeast... Everywhere the 'fight against terror' has weakened legal security. There is plenty of wealth, but it is unevenly distributed. Diversity is Europe's political weakness but at the same time its cultural strength. Solidarity has led to EU enlargement, but Europe is also a stronghold for hypocrites. Within, free trade is thriving, but outside both people and goods are being held at arm's length."
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Népszabadság - Hungary | Tuesday, 13. June 2006
2007 is the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. Brussels correspondent Laszlo Szöcs writes that Brussels hopes to bury the memory ... » more
2007 is the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. Brussels correspondent Laszlo Szöcs writes that Brussels hopes to bury the memory of the integration process fiasco with light-hearted celebrations. He notes that Brussels, "slightly overweight (by then it's likely to have 27 members), with weak knees and rather short-sighted (the EU constitution having reached a dead-end) is preparing for its 50th birthday. The plans for a European pop song event along the lines of the Eurovision Song Contest have triggered discussion, prompting questions like 'What will it cost?', 'What will EU citizens say when they find out what it costs?' and 'Is there really anything to celebrate?'. The rather clumsy justification in the catalogue listing celebration proposals is 'We want to show that the EU can dance'. Some EU diplomats, who prefer to remain unnamed, say the plans remind them of the forced jollity required for mass celebrations of state socialism."
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A european history book?
Delo - Slovenia | Tuesday, 20. March 2007
The president of the Slovenian Association of History Teachers, Andreja Valic Zupan, considers the idea of a common European history book and remarks critically: » more
The president of the Slovenian Association of History Teachers, Andreja Valic Zupan, considers the idea of a common European history book and remarks critically: "In the past, historiography in textbooks often had the function of spreading nationalist sentiments, strengthening feelings of racial, religious or cultural superiority or even encouraging hate and violence. Today, the writing of history is a purely scientific task. But historical events are not objective phenomena. Each new generation sees them through the prism of their own culture, values and understanding of the world. In most European education systems, however, history no longer plays a key role in creating a new society."
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Pravda - Slovakia | Wednesday, 28. February 2007
The German EU presidency plans to propose the compilation of a pan-European history textbook at an EU education ministers' conference on Thursday and Friday. In view of an attempt by Slovakia and Hungary to produce a similar textbook that has yet to bear fruit after years of effort, Marius Kopcsay has serious doubts about the success of the German initiative: » more
The German EU presidency plans to propose the compilation of a pan-European history textbook at an EU education ministers' conference on Thursday and Friday. In view of an attempt by Slovakia and Hungary to produce a similar textbook that has yet to bear fruit after years of effort, Marius Kopcsay has serious doubts about the success of the German initiative: "Each nation has its own view of history, which in part may differ radically from that of others. In Hungary, the Treaty of Trianon (by which Hungary lost most of its territory) is interpreted as a decision that unjustly split up a prospering nation. In Slovakia, on the other hand, the focus is on the country's thousand years of servitude to Hungary, as if the Slovaks had failed to produce anything of value during all this time... At least today these things can be discussed, one can try to understand the other side and admit that there can be different interpretations of historical events... It would be a step forwards if we simply used this insight to improve the textbooks of the different countries."
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Postimees - Estonia | Wednesday, 7. March 2007
German Minister of Education Annette Schavan has proposed the publication of a pan-European history textbook. Erkki Bahovski considers this to be a good but unrealistic ... » more
German Minister of Education Annette Schavan has proposed the publication of a pan-European history textbook. Erkki Bahovski considers this to be a good but unrealistic idea. "The biggest problem is that old and new Europe have such different views of the Second World War. Western European history books maintain that the invasion of Normandy represented the turning point, but they overlook the fact that many more people were fighting on the Eastern Front at the time - and that there were many more victims there. ... Then there's the question of who's going to write the book. As long as there are such great differences of opinion it's likely to remain a dream that all 27 member states will approve a book. And the differences are not just between individual states; our own Russian minority has an entirely different view of history to the Estonians. And what about the Basques, Catalonians or the Hungarians who live outside Hungary?"
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Diena - Latvia | Thursday, 8. June 2006
Former Latvian Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete argues that Europe must agree on a unified conception of history. Kalniete recently triggered an outburst of indignation by ... » more
Former Latvian Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete argues that Europe must agree on a unified conception of history. Kalniete recently triggered an outburst of indignation by likening the crimes of National Socialism to those of communism at the Leipzig Book Fair. "It was not my intention to play down the crimes of National Socialism. It was a criminal movement and in people's minds it will always be synonymous with the atrocious crime that was the Holocaust. What I wanted to do was make people in Europe aware of the fact that there was another criminal totalitarian regime that punished people not because they had broken any laws, but simply because they existed. The experience at Leipzig has clearly illustrated how different and even conflicting the views of West and East Europeans are regarding the history of our continent in the 20th century… Now that Europe has been united politically it's important to discuss things openly and to listen to the stories of others.”
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European identity
Prospect - United Kingdom | Tuesday, 30. January 2007
The British historian and political writer Timothy Garton Ash considers in an essay published in the monthly that the EU has "lost the plot" and ... » more
The British historian and political writer Timothy Garton Ash considers in an essay published in the monthly that the EU has "lost the plot" and needs a "new narrative". "I propose that our new story should be woven from six strands, each of which represents a shared European goal. The strands are freedom, peace, law, prosperity, diversity and solidarity." The author places each of these 'strands' in an historical context before concluding that "woven together, the six strands will add up to an account of where we have come from and a vision of where we want to go. Different strands will, however, appeal more strongly to different people. For me, the most inspiring stories are those of freedom and diversity. I acknowledge the others with my head but those are the two that quicken my heart. They are the reason I can say, without hyperbole, that I love Europe."
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Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Wednesday, 7. March 2007
The historian Georg Kreis points out that four of the six parties that signed the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which laid the foundation for the ... » more
The historian Georg Kreis points out that four of the six parties that signed the 1957 Treaty of Rome, which laid the foundation for the EU, were still colonial powers at the time. France, in particular, made sure that its colonies were included in the treaty. "Was France seeking the silent immortalisation or the secret liquidation of the French colonial empire ? The former was no doubt the long-term goal, but in the medium term the latter was the consequence. The treaty had the immediate effect of turning national colonialism into supranational colonialism. The idea was that other Europeans would buy more French colonial products at prices that were above the world market average. Moreover, the French - by no means unselfishly - expected their fellow Europeans to help them finance the loans that were necessary for investments in the colonies. They wanted to make it look like they were selling out colonialism so that they wouldn't have to give it up after all."
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Foreign Policy Edición Española - Spain | Friday, 9. February 2007
As the EU prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the Spanish political scientist José Ignacio Torreblanca wonders if the European edifice would have been built the same way today. "If we could start afresh, we would start Europe by defining our objectives, not our means. Otherwise said, we would first of all ask ourselves what we want to do (political decisions), then how we want these decisions to be taken (the institutions)and finally how to finance them (taxes). This way we would first and foremost identify the priorities and aims. These would then be submitted to public discussions and national Parliaments who would subsequently be asked to write a short text, clear and comprehensible, listing the Union's capacities, the rules of the institutional game and its budgetary resources. This would avoid the trap into which we have fallen: » more
As the EU prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the Spanish political scientist José Ignacio Torreblanca wonders if the European edifice would have been built the same way today. "If we could start afresh, we would start Europe by defining our objectives, not our means. Otherwise said, we would first of all ask ourselves what we want to do (political decisions), then how we want these decisions to be taken (the institutions)and finally how to finance them (taxes). This way we would first and foremost identify the priorities and aims. These would then be submitted to public discussions and national Parliaments who would subsequently be asked to write a short text, clear and comprehensible, listing the Union's capacities, the rules of the institutional game and its budgetary resources. This would avoid the trap into which we have fallen: we know what we want, but cannot achieve it for the lack adequate institutions and sufficient budgetary resources. Would we create Europe again ? Yes, but the other way round."
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Die Zeit - Germany | Thursday, 8. February 2007
Austrian author and essayist Robert Menasse writes that it was only through living in Latin America that he became aware he was a European. "My first experience with 'Europe' was that I became a European by living on another continent. And it was all positive: » more
Austrian author and essayist Robert Menasse writes that it was only through living in Latin America that he became aware he was a European. "My first experience with 'Europe' was that I became a European by living on another continent. And it was all positive: the identity and the distance to that identity." Menasse sees Europe's ability to be self-critical as particularly noteworthy: "When Europe reflects its own interests, it is immediately accused of 'Eurocentrism'. We are continually reminded not to be 'Eurocentric'. No American or Asian, etc., would even think of reprimanding themselves for observing the world from his own standpoint and putting his own interests first. I have never heard the term 'Americacentrism' in America. I think Europe's long-standing ability to be self-critical is admirable, but considering the current state of the world I reject it."
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Prospect - United Kingdom | Wednesday, 31. January 2007
Francis Fukuyama, professor of politics and economics, ponders the "weak collective identites" of modern liberal societies facing "people who are more sure of who they ... » more
Francis Fukuyama, professor of politics and economics, ponders the "weak collective identites" of modern liberal societies facing "people who are more sure of who they are", such as the far-right and religious fundamentalists. "The dilemma of immigration and identity ultimately converges with the larger problem of the valuelessness of postmodernity. The rise of relativism has made it harder for postmodern people to assert positive values and therefore the kinds of shared beliefs that they demand of migrants as a condition for citizenship. Postmodern elites, particularly those in Europe, feel that they have evolved beyond identities defined by religion and nation and have arrived at a superior place. But aside from their celebration of endless diversity and tolerance, postmodern people find it difficult to agree on the substance of the good life to which they aspire in common. Immigration forces upon us in a particularly acute way discussion of the question 'Who are we ?'."
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Der Tagesspiegel - Germany | Wednesday, 17. January 2007
Writer Ilija Trojanow is to receive the Berlin Literature Prize today. In an interview with Andreas Schäfer, he discusses the success of his new book. "Der Weltensammler" [Collector of Worlds] is about the adventurer Richard Burton, who toured India, Arabia and Africa. The book has touched "an existential nerve," says Trojanow: » more
Writer Ilija Trojanow is to receive the Berlin Literature Prize today. In an interview with Andreas Schäfer, he discusses the success of his new book. "Der Weltensammler" [Collector of Worlds] is about the adventurer Richard Burton, who toured India, Arabia and Africa. The book has touched "an existential nerve," says Trojanow: "Many people have an uneasy feeling about the current tendency to present cultural difference as something to be overcome. In fact it is an enjoyable, inspiring invitation to openness and diversity. Aside from that, cultural difference is the state of nature. Cultural development is an eternal hybridisation... that is, the repeated coming together and mixing of cultural elements that differ from one another. That is how culture arises. What we call tradition is a forgotten hybridisation. We also often forget that people who appear canonical to us did not come from the centre, but from the fringes. Kafka, Celan, Canetti."
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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Monday, 15. January 2007
In an essay on Western Europe, jurist Josef Isensee concludes that the EU remains primarily an administrative union, despite the longing for a common identity. ... » more
In an essay on Western Europe, jurist Josef Isensee concludes that the EU remains primarily an administrative union, despite the longing for a common identity. "Notwithstanding the illusion of closeness to the people, here's to distance! There is more than one reason to appreciate the distance of citizens which is essential to the system of supranational governmental decision-making. It is the secret to the success of organized Europe. Because it is easier for the EU organs to roll with the short and medium-term conditions of the free market than it is for the governments and parliaments of the member states, which hang directly on people's sensitivities and reactions and on the favour of the electorate. The organizations' integration success is largely the work of cabinet politics and the central bureaucracy, which, for the sake of efficiency, implement liberal contract goals, push competition, limit dependency on aid, and keep a lid on national debt. This is clearly no way to win a popularity contest. But do you have to love the European organization, even if its usefulness and necessity are obvious?"
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Le Soir - Belgium | Tuesday, 2. January 2007
In his work 'Aveuglantes Lumières' ('Blinding Enlightenment'), the French philosopher Régis Debray does away with some of the founding concepts of 18th century European thinking. He explains in an interview with William Bourton the reasons why "Europe is a dissolving dream. ... On cannot but notice that Europe is at its lowest, as is its capacity to act on the running of things political and economic. We may well ask ourselves whether this dream, rationalist and technocratic, was not the child of the Enlightenment. The notion that Reason is the faculty of unity, that economic and technical Reason will be the death of national cultures, that 'economics is clean, politics is dirty', that no conflict between nations is insurmountable, that we can adopt a common language ... All of these postulates are oblivious to an historical fact, which is that all identities are formed 'by opposition'. One takes position through opposition: » more
In his work 'Aveuglantes Lumières' ('Blinding Enlightenment'), the French philosopher Régis Debray does away with some of the founding concepts of 18th century European thinking. He explains in an interview with William Bourton the reasons why "Europe is a dissolving dream. ... On cannot but notice that Europe is at its lowest, as is its capacity to act on the running of things political and economic. We may well ask ourselves whether this dream, rationalist and technocratic, was not the child of the Enlightenment. The notion that Reason is the faculty of unity, that economic and technical Reason will be the death of national cultures, that 'economics is clean, politics is dirty', that no conflict between nations is insurmountable, that we can adopt a common language ... All of these postulates are oblivious to an historical fact, which is that all identities are formed 'by opposition'. One takes position through opposition: what counts for individuals counts for nations and even federations."
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Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Saturday, 9. December 2006
The paper reprints a speech on European borders which Ukrainian writer Juri Andruchowytsch delivered in late November, at a conference in Kiev. "Europe is also unusual in a spatial sense. It's difficult enough with the western borders let alone the eastern ones where all sorts of contradictory definitions have cropped up recently... Where in heaven's name are Europe's disputed eastern borders?... In order to arrive at some sort of answer, one could assume that Europe exists wherever the local people believe that they are part of Europe. Or, to go one step further, wherever they consider themselves to be European. So: » more
The paper reprints a speech on European borders which Ukrainian writer Juri Andruchowytsch delivered in late November, at a conference in Kiev. "Europe is also unusual in a spatial sense. It's difficult enough with the western borders let alone the eastern ones where all sorts of contradictory definitions have cropped up recently... Where in heaven's name are Europe's disputed eastern borders?... In order to arrive at some sort of answer, one could assume that Europe exists wherever the local people believe that they are part of Europe. Or, to go one step further, wherever they consider themselves to be European. So: Europe is a completely subjective term. A Chinese person in China or in Singapore would never consider himself European, neither would an Arab, an Indian, a Mongolian or an Iranian. But an Azerbaijani might do, and you can be pretty sure an Armenian would."
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Merkur - Germany | Tuesday, 5. December 2006
Wolf Dieter Enkelmann, Director of the Munich Institute for Economic Planning, considers what Europe represents: » more
Wolf Dieter Enkelmann, Director of the Munich Institute for Economic Planning, considers what Europe represents: "Europeans are eccentric. It's clearly evidenced through world history. But they hardly notice it themselves any more. It has become second nature, particularly for those concerned about their seriousness. They seek their identity, they find their centre in alienation. Two-fisted guardians of the treasury look different. Europeans sense opportunities where others were only in a position to see potential pitfalls and the end of everything correct. What would have become of Europe without the great migation period, without adventurers and soldiers of fortune, its refugees and expellees, its traitors and lost souls, without all those for whom Europe became unendurable? Wanderlust: It's almost a European invention. It turned Europe into a transcontinental continent. Christianity is eccentric. But it has already been inscribed in the origin myth that the people of this continent, with their common title, invoke."
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Le Figaro - France | Tuesday, 14. November 2006
In an interview conducted by Marie-Laure Germon and Stéphane Marchand, the French philosopher Pascal Bruckner debates with the historian Benjamin Stora on the way countries ... » more
In an interview conducted by Marie-Laure Germon and Stéphane Marchand, the French philosopher Pascal Bruckner debates with the historian Benjamin Stora on the way countries deal with historical memory. For Bruckner, "It is not enough to repent for past crimes. Responsibility should also be felt for contemporary crimes. On this point, I have noticed that Europe prefers the comfort of guilt to the demands of responsibility regarding contemporary atrocities. We are, to use a classic theological term, in a state of 'peaceful bad conscience' which leads to inaction. Europe no longer has any enemies, only partners. It would like to walk away from History on tip toe. In the tempestuous zone where we are situated, such behaviour is suicidal. A choice has to be made between penitence and resistance."
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Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger - Germany | Wednesday, 8. November 2006
The renowned German philosopher Jürgen Habermas has complained in a speech about the faltering process of European integration. He points out the following to those who claim there can never be a United States of Europe: » more
The renowned German philosopher Jürgen Habermas has complained in a speech about the faltering process of European integration. He points out the following to those who claim there can never be a United States of Europe: "The real question is whether it is possible to extend solidarity among the citizens of Europe beyond the borders of its individual states. The quicker the thick mesh of national culture within the individual states becomes more receptive to citizens with different ethnic or religious backgrounds, the easier it will be to establish a common European identity. Integration is not a one-way street; when it is successful it revitalises strong national cultures in such a way that they become more porous, receptive and sensitive to influences from within and from without at the same time. For example, the more we Germans come to take for granted our coexistence with citizens of Turkish origin, the better we will be able to identify with the position of other European citizens like the winegrowers from Portugal or the plumber from Poland. When closed cultures open up from within they become more receptive to other cultures."
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Télérama - France | Saturday, 4. November 2006
In an interview with Gilles Heuré, the French historian Michel Wincock regrets how little intellectuals are committed to Europe. "Europe was championed in the 19th ... » more
In an interview with Gilles Heuré, the French historian Michel Wincock regrets how little intellectuals are committed to Europe. "Europe was championed in the 19th century by writers like Saint-Simon, Victor Hugo and Ernest Renan and it should still be an ideal cause for intellectuals, a concrete utopia, an escape route, a horizon. ... When Europe took shape with the Rome Treaty of 1957, intellectuals were agitated by the question of the Algerian war. Europe seemed to them like an abstract construction that only concerned technocrats or diplomats far from the people. Europe is in trouble and this is bad news for peace in the world. An economic giant and political dwarf, Europe will remain in limbo land as long as the populations are not associated with its construction. It seems to me that this is a mission for intellectuals, not just for politicians..."
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Le Nouvel Observateur - France | Thursday, 2. November 2006
"My position as an historian with an East-European sensibility allows me a different approach to the history of barbaric Europe and helps me avoid falling ... » more
"My position as an historian with an East-European sensibility allows me a different approach to the history of barbaric Europe and helps me avoid falling into the trap of a unilateral vision of Europe's past", explains Karol Modzelewski, professor of medieval history at the University of Warsaw, whose opinion is related by Gilles Anquetil. "The cultural roots of Europe are also barbaric. But the historical and ideological vulgate tries to deny this. Since the Christianisation of the European space, a very selective genealogy has been constructed, neglecting the mosaic of barbaric populations who composed Europe for centuries. We have focused only on Mediterranean heritage -Greek and Roman- and then on Christian heritage. The history of populations that do not have their origins in the Mediterranean and who lived in the confines of the Roman Empire also forged our European culture."
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Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Tuesday, 9. May 2006
Aleksander Kaczorowski writes enthusiastically about the anthology "Last & Lost. An atlas of disappearing Europe", in which writers describe their quest for the lost and the forgotten in Europe. "It turns out that 15 authors from several European countries – people with lives and experiences that are as disparate as they can be only in Europe – are on the same wavelength. Despite everything, the much doubted European identity comes over as live and kicking – even in the sphere of art, where ideas and solutions are really put to the test. Although it's difficult to believe sometimes: » more
Aleksander Kaczorowski writes enthusiastically about the anthology "Last & Lost. An atlas of disappearing Europe", in which writers describe their quest for the lost and the forgotten in Europe. "It turns out that 15 authors from several European countries – people with lives and experiences that are as disparate as they can be only in Europe – are on the same wavelength. Despite everything, the much doubted European identity comes over as live and kicking – even in the sphere of art, where ideas and solutions are really put to the test. Although it's difficult to believe sometimes: we are genuinely proud of that dump called Europe."
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Libération - France | Monday, 27. March 2006
"Migrants have a much better image of Europe," observes Italian sociologist Ettore Recchi, the coordinator of 'Pioneur', a European research project on mobility in the EU, in an interview with Sonya Faure. "Our study shows that these mobile workers feel greater attachment to the EU and political Europe. This is normal: » more
"Migrants have a much better image of Europe," observes Italian sociologist Ettore Recchi, the coordinator of 'Pioneur', a European research project on mobility in the EU, in an interview with Sonya Faure. "Our study shows that these mobile workers feel greater attachment to the EU and political Europe. This is normal: their status depends on it. They are pretty much obliged to take an interest in European social assistance. ... They do not participate in national elections as much as other Europeans, but they take part more in European elections. Politically, they tend to be left-leaning and anti-liberal. In the final reckoning, European identity means being able to move about freely. We also realised that the European identity they adopt, rather than replacing national identity, supplements it."
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Die Welt - Germany | Monday, 13. March 2006
Dutch author Geert Mak explains in an interview led by Jan Kanter that "the Christian world and its values, expanded by the Renaissance and the ... » more
Dutch author Geert Mak explains in an interview led by Jan Kanter that "the Christian world and its values, expanded by the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, and finally the constitutions and the basic rights established therein, form the basis for European identity." Asked whether Europe and Islam are compatible, Mak replies that they are. "However, diversity is also a fundamental characteristic of Europe. The Continent was never as much of a monolithic block as the Chinese empire. Europe is diversity, competition and dynamism. The weakness that results from this has always at the same time been our strength. The European Union has been so successful in the past because it has managed to preserve diversity in an atmosphere of peace and cooperation. Now, however, I fear that these achievements, this European philosophy, are under threat from a new wave of indifference."
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Les Echos - France | Monday, 6. February 2006
The EU's Austrian presidency recently organised a conference in Salzburg entitled, 'The Sound of Europe'. "What form should this 'sound' take?", wonders the French political analyst, Dominique ... » more
The EU's Austrian presidency recently organised a conference in Salzburg entitled, 'The Sound of Europe'. "What form should this 'sound' take?", wonders the French political analyst, Dominique Moisi. "After the Union created the European hymn based on the final chords of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - thus transforming it, at the moment when the Berlin Wall was coming down, into an ode to liberty as well as joy - is the Austrian presidency seeking to make Mozart's music the flag-bearer of European identity? ... At a time when Europe is in search of a 'second wind', the danger exists today that this European 'sound' will become that of a door being abruptly slammed in the face of anyone who is not already a member of the club."
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Le Monde - France | Friday, 3. February 2006
"At a moment when a crisis-plagued Europe is nervously wondering about its future, here we see it eagerly returning to its past, as if it ... » more
"At a moment when a crisis-plagued Europe is nervously wondering about its future, here we see it eagerly returning to its past, as if it were necessary to acquire a shared sense of history before beginning to move forward again," observes Thomas Ferenczi, a columnist who specialises in European issues. "The three major tragedies [the Holocaust, Communism and Colonialism] that have marked its history are now the subject of a critical re-reading ... The job of coming to terms with the past should enable us to better define the basic values on which the European edifice has been built and to ensure that these values continue to unite the people of Europe. ... By remembering the disasters for which it bore responsibility in the last century, Europe provides itself with some categorical imperatives for the future, beginning with respect for human rights."
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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Tuesday, 4. April 2006
Disappointed with the lack of Western support for the opposition in Belarus, Polish author Andrzej Stasiuk harshly criticises Western Europeans for their indifference towards the EU aspirations of Eastern Europeans: » more
Disappointed with the lack of Western support for the opposition in Belarus, Polish author Andrzej Stasiuk harshly criticises Western Europeans for their indifference towards the EU aspirations of Eastern Europeans: "What has Europe to gain from Belarus? (is there really such a place, anyway?) Why does it need Ukraine, that traitor who accepted the world's expressions of solidarity, blankets, sleeping bags and TV reporters and yet for a year – a whole year! – has made no attempt to make itself more like Luxembourg. Considering the mountains of sleeping bags and all the camera teams you would at least expect Ukraine to try. What has Europe to gain from Bosnia-Herzegovina? They just want to split up again anyway. And what good can Serbia do us with its complicated alphabet and its inborn thirst for blood? The mere thought of it... The true Europeans are those who uphold European values and know how to fight for them – those willing to sacrifice their own lives and freedom for those values. If it's something else that makes a European a European, then we can forget the old Continent."
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