Europe

Julian Nida-Rümelin – a former Minister of State and now Professor of Political Theory at the University of Munich – sets the tone: what has happened, he asks, to “enlargement and deepening”, the formula with which Europe was supposed to overcome its division after the collapse of communism? His response is this: “’Deepening’ was not addressed prior to enlargement, and now the conditions for “deepening” have become more difficult than ever“. This, he says, is not only due to the resurgence of pride in national identity which can now be observed in Eastern Europe and which its peoples are reluctant to relinquish. It also reflects a fundamental omission by the EU itself: the EU has failed to address overarching objectives, focussing instead on reaching agreement, often through interest-led processes, on more trivial issues, notably in the agricultural sector. In line with this logic, Nida-Rümelin therefore argues in favour of a “basic normative consensus” – for without this foundation, the EU cannot play the role in global politics to which it aspires. As a political philosopher, Nida-Rümelin starts with the Mediterranean cultures of Greece and Rome, traces an arc to the Renaissance and Enlightenment, and advocates a rebuilding of European culture which must start where its self-destruction began, namely before the two world wars and before the Fascist- and Communist-dominated 20th century.

Do the Europeans want the EU?

That brings him to the first topic addressed in the anthology: “Seeing Europe’s identity“. The other two main topics are “wanting an identity” and “strengthening identity”.

Do the Europeans want the EU? If it shows political leadership, the answer is yes. If the EU performs in a way which fulfils citizens’ expectations, then citizens’ “ownership” of the EU will increase, says Josef Janning from the Centre for Applied Policy Research (CAP) at the University of Munich. “The benefits that could be provided by a closer union of EU states which are willing and capable of integration would radiate out across the entire EU area, just as monetary union is already impacting on the wider area of the EU.“

But do Europeans identify with the EU? That question is answered by Jochen Roose from the Free University, Berlin, with reference to the surveys regularly carried out by Eurobarometer since the 1970s. According to these surveys, more than half of respondents say that they view themselves as Europeans alongside their national identity. A sense of European identity is stronger among younger than among older persons. The surveys bring to light some interesting details. For example, many Luxembourgers see themselves simply and solely as Europeans (17 percent, as opposed to an EU average of 3 percent), whereas the Greeks, of all people – according to the survey carried out in 2004 – identify least with Europe.

More citizens’ participation

So how can European identity be strengthened? That question is addressed in the third part of the anthology. In the view of Thomas Meyer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Dortmund and Director of the Political Academy of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, strengthening the social dimension is a promising route. More exchange between young people, more rigorous efforts in schools and education policy, and the involvement of civil society are just some of the possible options. And finally, Bettina Thalmaier from CAP, Munich, calls for more citizens’ participation in European decision-making and argues that more vigorous discourse on contentious matters would also be beneficial. In her view, one of the fundamental and rarely challenged tenets of the European elites is to avoid debate about controversial issues relating to Europe because they supposedly jeopardise the integration process. “The opposite is true! Argument and political debate are integral to democratic opinion-forming – and Europe and the EU are no exception.”

The anthology, comprising papers from a conference organised by the Bertelsmann Foundation and CAP, is pervaded by the prevailing mood of disappointment following the rejection of the European constitution in the referenda in the Netherlands and France. At the time, no one quite knew which course the European Union would now take, especially following an enlargement that had brought in a further ten countries. Yet despite the change in mood since then, the articles are still relevant today, at a time when the EU has become a self-confident actor on the world stage – for besides the questions of European identity and the Europeans’ historical roots, a further unresolved issue is how citizens can best be involved in the European process. A good six months before the next European elections, it is one which now arises with renewed force.