Europe is a peculiar entity! It is an ailing would-be super state with a deep identity crisis, which does not know where it wants to go and what its place is in the world. In the current geopolitical arena, it is impossible to talk about a European superpower, or at the very least an international actor, as we do for the United States, China, Russia and so on. Yet Europe has a vital microcosm inside itself – a variety of cultures, civilizations, giants that have made made and shaped our planet’s history.

The Great Role of Europe

For ages, the Old Continent was the center of the World. It gave our planet irreplaceable art, science, fair laws, and a political system — democracy — that most countries yearn to implement. The Greek and Roman philosophers of antiquity, the warrior-kings of the Middle Ages, the Christian faith and its teachings, traditions, food and ways of life, are all studied and followed today all over the world. Europe had empires that conquered the world, from Alexander the Great, to the Romans, to Napoleon to the British Empire.

On the other side, Europe was the battlefield of fierce and bloody wars, fought for conquest, petty rivalries and ideological differences. It is also the continent of deeply unfair decisions, absolutist rulers, terrible massacres, behind-the-scenes deals and arrangements among certain countries that hurt and destroyed others. It is the continent of rivalries that run so deep, that even after centuries they have not been forgotten.

It has been the continent of profound contrasts, of pride and prejudice, of magnificent achievements and deserved failures, of generosity and mercilessness. Thus, in a word, it was alive! Yet, for some time now, Europe has slowly been losing its relevance. It is withering away and living with an oxygen mask.

Europe 70 Years Ago

Seventy years ago, at the prospect of fading away as the new superpowers of the United States and USSR were dividing the World between them, many saw this was the fate Europe was heading towards. Thus, they decided that the path forward would be a common market, a United Nations of Europe, trading without tariffs or barriers, fighting for no land, and cooperating on their security. Men of great wisdom understood that to keep the world stable and fight off the threats of communism and any other evil that would emerge, a strong European continent in collaboration with the US was necessary. These two pillars today are more needed than ever. Yet, Europe is divided and weakened. Those great leaders have been succeeded by lesser men. Greed and vanity have replaced farsightedness and courage.

During the past decades, the inescapable mistake has been to try and transform Europe into a political union, with a common government eliminating all that make it special: its diversity. Worse, everyone has been led to believe that it is necessary and what the founding fathers had wanted. So, in the pursuit of this fantasy, unelected bureaucrats have been trying to substitute national identities with a European one. That is why Europe is dying. Imagine stripping a human being of his identity, of his history, tradition, culture and his roots. That person would be nothing but a faceless ghost wandering around aimlessly. That person would also be susceptible to others’ orders, having no will of its own. Europe has been led deceitfully down this road.

European Identity

The error many make is to believe that the national and European identities are mutually exclusive. However, one can be Italian, German, Spanish or French and European at the same time. Europe’s value added is in its various identities and cultures. It is its history that makes it valuable today, with the lessons learned from wars, betrayals, failures, defeats and also magnificent achievements. There will always be a sense of kinship among the peoples of Europe. No political Union has forced it. This kinship has been gradually and naturally built throughout the centuries, despite of wars and conflict.

During the past few decades, a false Europe has been created, replacing its authentic virtues and remaining blind to its own vices. By trying to transform Europe into something that it is not, by imposing on it a hypocritical multiculturalism and by trying to make it part of a global community, the bureaucrats working for agendas set in the corridors of power have condemned the Old Continent to asphyxiation. Those that lead Europe today, through their actions, have proven that they repudiate all that is European. It is the only logical reasoning that explains why they want to destroy Europe and substitute it with a tyrannical utopia. It is also what can explain decades of wrong economic policies that have impoverished a considerable proportion of the continent.

Pan-European Dreams

Many have tried to rule Europe and, in the end, they have all failed, because we as Europeans try in vain to repeat an unsuccessful model: that of absolute monarchies. That is why the project to forcefully unite the continent in a political way will always fail. In contrast, the reason Britain’s system has succeeded is because it has rejected Continental Europe’s model, choosing instead freedom of expression, representation and strong institutions. The British, and the Americans, have understood that being ruled upon goes against human nature, which yearn to be free to pursue its own aspirations.

Furthermore, any comparison with the US is wrong. The United States was born out of a desire for freedom. The War for Independence is the only fair revolution because it was driven by a desire of freedom, instead of conquest or power. It was not to overthrow a regime or to depose a ruler. The founding fathers of the US fought against taxation without representation. In Europe, currently, we actually have taxation without representation, a detached elite and an unsustainable economic system. George Washington was given the chance to be a King, and he chose to help build a Republic. In Europe, everyone now wants to rule, from Brussels, Berlin or the Elysée Palace, through unelected bureaucrats who push for agendas that have no relation to the needs and desires of the citizens. Thus, Europe has been led astray from the visions of Schuman, Monnet, De Gasperi and Adenauer.

The EU’s Future is Not Looking Good

Unless it changes course, Europe will be crushed by its enormous debt, choked by over-taxation and buried by Brussel’s bureaucrats pushing for a globalization without identity and socialist ideas. It is still in time to heal itself. It needs responsible governments that will restore the EU countries dignity, history and tradition. The EU needs to make a complete overhaul of its institutions. Nobody that is in a position to take decisions should be unelected, otherwise they are unaccountable, increasing the propensity for abuse. There can never be a United States of Europe in the style of the USA, because when the United States were created the differences, the culture and the history between the members was not as different between European nations. It is just as unimaginable, unachievable and unsustainable as a world government.

However, there can be a confederate of sovereign European nations of an economic nature, without trade tariffs, with a common market, with fairness and reciprocity between each other. The nation state has always been a part of the identity of Europe. As the nations have become stronger and wealthier, so has the cooperation increased and the shared European identity strengthened. Nations that value democracy, individual dignity and rights, protect and ensure freedom of thought, expression and religion, guarantee low taxation, far less bureaucracy and regulation, and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Reforms should be implemented to reduce substantially the burden of debt, pursuing balanced budgets, freeing the individuals’ entrepreneurial spirit and encouraging their investments.

How Can Europe Survive and Prosper?

This way Europe can rise to the challenges of our century and lead together with the United States of America, just as it did during the last century, through cooperation and innovation. Europe should be decentralized on matters of a national nature, with each country free to decide the policies that affect the everyday lives of its citizens, but cooperate closely on matters of security and trade, with a common free market.

This chaotic leftist Europe resembles the Soviet Union of the 1980s, when it was gradually nearing its end. A Europe in such a state is of no use to anyone who seeks a world in which the balance of power remains in the West. It is up to the citizens of each country to vote for worthy successors to Schuman, Adenauer, De Gasperi, Churchill or Thatcher that will make sure a prosperous Europe lead for the next century.

Let us hope that in the next anniversary, 70 years after, we have a strong united Europe of nations, true to its real identity.

L'articolo The European Dream 70 Years Later proviene da InsideOver.

The EU’s founding principle of the free movement of people has already been undermined by the Turkish-Greek border crisis and now by the coronavirus outbreak. Germany, one of the bloc’s leading members, imposed temporary controls on its borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg on Monday in a bid to prevent the disease from spreading further.

It is understandable why the German Government has introduced such a drastic measure. Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has warned that 58 million people, or 70 per cent of the country’s population, could contract Covid-19. So far, nine people have died as a result of the epidemic in Germany and 4,585 others have been infected with it.

The Impact of Covid-19 on Europe

Covid-19 has also had a devastating impact upon Germany’s car industry, which has already been damaged by fears of a no-deal Brexit and the 18-month trade war between China and the US. According to Reuters, German car giant Volkswagen is preparing to suspend production at its plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, and its Portuguese plant has announced that it will slash its output by 16 percent.

In order to contain the virus, Merkel has made the right decision. But at a time when her French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, is calling for greater EU integration by proposing the creation of a common border force, the Chancellor’s latest decision will only undermine the European project in the longer term as other nations led by more nationalistic governments, like Poland and Hungary, call for greater control over their borders.

EU Founding Principle: Free Movement of People

The free movement of people provides citizens of all EU countries with the right to work, travel and live wherever they wish in the bloc. Many European leaders wanted to prevent a repeat of the Second World War and the idea behind this principle was that allowing people to move across borders would not only boost European growth, but would help avert conflict by enabling people to mix and cooperate across borders.

The Schengen Agreement, which was signed on June 14, 1985, goes one step further and eradicates the need for border controls altogether. When it was incorporated into law by the Amsterdam Treaty in 1999, only the UK and Ireland opted out of it, which is why the British Government was able to refuse to take in dozens of refugees during the 2015 refugee crisis.

In 2016, border controls were temporarily reintroduced in seven Schengen countries (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, and Sweden) following the refugee crisis. This is why Merkel’s decision to impose temporary border checks again is all the more significant, because it shows that her government is under increasing pressure to protect its borders as the coronavirus epidemic continues.

The rest of Europe is beginning to follow Germany’s lead. Sky News reports that Macron has announced that the EU’s borders will be closed at Tuesday lunchtime for 30 days. The French President warned that drastic measures were required because people have not complied with earlier public health measures.

Either way, the coronavirus represents the final nail in the coffin for the free movement of people and the Schengen Agreement. It is clear that countries across the EU will demand greater border protection in the future as COVID-19 has exposed how vulnerable global supplies are to an epidemic of this scale. The likelihood is that more countries will choose to quit Schengen because, altogether, the principle of the free movement of people will never be up for renegotiation in the EU’s eyes. Yet it is hard to argue the bloc has a future when one of its founding principles has proven to be so impractical in an emergency.

L'articolo How the Coronavirus Threatens the EU’s Founding Principles proviene da InsideOver.

It will be Europe’s “man on the moon moment,” proclaimed the continent’s top politician earlier this month. A bold climate-correcting policy that puts environmentalism at the very heart of the bloc’s future. From the buildings we inhabit, the vehicles we drive, how our food is produced, and even the quality of the air we breathe, every facet of European life is set to change. Ursula Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, hopes her bold “Green New Deal” will spur the world into a spree of decarbonization. It’s a heady ambition; but at both home and abroad, many remain unconvinced.    

Specific Goals Of Von Der Leyen’s Plan

Perhaps the single largest policy overhaul in the EU’s history, Von der Leyen’s scheme sets a lofty target: continent-wide carbon-neutrality in Europe by 2050. By 2030, a little over a decade from now, Von der Leyen hopes to see current emissions slashed by half. Europe’s transport network will be remodeled, as will member states’ recycling programs, with specific standards replacing existing unregulated targets. The EU’s agriculture and fisheries budgets will also be reformed, with up to 40% of funding dedicated to decarbonization. Europe’s toxic air nightmare will be addressed too, with the imposition of strict new air quality requirements.

Environmental groups have applauded the scope of Von der Leyen’s vision, but not all are convinced. Eastern Europe, desperate to share in their westerly neighbors’ wealth, have been forced to sacrifice environmental standards in the pursuit of post-Soviet prosperity. In Poland, some 80% of electricity comes from coal-fired power stations. In Romania, a mere 14% of waste is recycled, far behind Germany’s two-thirds. Further examples are illustrated by Bulgaria and Estonia, which are saddled with sooty economies, both of which well above the world average in terms of carbon-intensiveness.

Poorer EU Nations Are Worried About Being Left Behind

These nations simply cannot afford to commit to environmental pledges in the way Western Europe can, critics say. In an effort to head off this geographical imbalance, Von der Leyen has proposed a €100 billion inducement for reluctant nations. It’s a sizeable sum, undoubtedly, but the shift toward carbon-neutrality carries grave economic risks. The coal industry alone puts a quarter of a million Europeans to work, mostly in Eastern states. Unnerved at the prospect of mass unemployment, Poland broke ranks last week, refusing to endorse the deal. 

Additionally, Brussels may have to wrestle with a north-south divide too, experts warn. To fund the continent’s eco push, Von der Leyen hopes to stimulate investment in green-minded industries and technology⁠—but not all of Europe is furnished with the financial infrastructure to accommodate such a move. 

“While Germany has a strong state-owned development bank, KfW, significant links between science and industry and excellent vocational training, many of the southern member states do not,” explains Professor Mariana Mazzucato of University College London.

How To Define ‘Greenwashing’ And Put A Stop To It

The classification of low-carbon investments has caused further controversy. So-called “greenwashing”⁠—the act of marketing a product or service as eco-friendly without any independent verification⁠—must be stamped out, EU leaders agree. However, member states disagree on the details. With its negligible production of CO2, the atomic energy sector should be deemed green, France, the Czech Republic, and a number of other nations have argued. Brussels disagreed. Eventually, however, an accommodation was reached, with nuclear power to be recognized as helping the transition towards carbon-neutrality, though not strictly speaking environmentally-friendly itself. 

International Partners Will Be Hard To Convince

Such a tidy compromise will be harder to agree on with Von der Leyen’s international detractors. Under her proposals, no new trade deals will be signed with states failing to fulfill their green commitments. It’s a strident policy that could have seismic consequences. The EU’s largest commercial partner, Donald Trump’s United States, is set to leave the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change, and China, number two on the bloc’s trading list, is lagging environmentally.   

Nations attempting to honor their eco-pledges, but still struggling with emissions will be subject to a cross-border levy, Von der Leyen’s Green New Deal says. It will, in effect, be a tax on excess carbon production, with importers charged a heightened fee for bringing less green shipments into the EU. More controversial even that her plan to sideline some of Europe’s most lucrative trading partners, Von der Leyen claims the carbon levy is necessary to prevent local businesses being undercut by less expensive (but dirtier) imports of energy-intensive products, like steel.

This justification has fallen flat with many in the developing world. Collectively the planet’s second largest economy, the EU can afford its pursuit of carbon-neutrality. Its poorer partners are less able to indulge in environmental high-mindedness. By erecting trade barriers⁠—however theoretically ethical⁠—Europe edges closer to its protectionist past, and even runs the risk of acting like a “colonist”, says the likes of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Indonesia’s Joko Widodo.

The Plan Is For The Best

Regardless of these criticisms, Von der Leyen understands that the EU, despite producing just one-tenth of the planet’s greenhouse gases, must lead the world’s war on global warming. By adopting a radical new approach, Europeans can prove that decarbonization need not be financial folly. The climate crisis took shape amid their continent’s breakneck 18th century industrialization. There, a quarter millennia later, they hope it can be brought under control.   

L'articolo The EU’s Plan To Lead The World Away From Climate Catastrophe proviene da InsideOver.

It took less than a year for Giuseppe Conte to change his mind. The so-called “lawyer of the Italian people” and widely known as being proudly “populist” now takes it back. He is no longer taking aim at the European Union and is no longer head of a sceptical government when it comes to Brussels’ regulations. The arsonist (in theory, if not in public) is now the firefighter. And now Italy, who initially had in Conte a Prime Minister from a majority made up of the Italian Lega and Five Star Movement parties finds itself with the leader of a potential centre-left government (known as the rossogiallo); nothing at all like the previous one. No challenging the Franco-German European Union, no major lines of credit with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, no attack on Brussels’ finance regulations; only confirmation of the (personal) axis with Donald Trump and then a new great friendship with Europe’s chancelleries, from Brussels to Berlin, via a renewed axis with Paris. With this in mind, it will be much easier for Emmanuel Macron to engage in dialogue with Italy now his number one nemesis, Matteo Salvini’s League, is now out of the picture; and the Movement that formed an alliance with the yellow vests has essentially become moderate.

A significant and curiously seamless change of pace for Italy. Giuseppe Conte, the leader of the most “eurosceptic” government in Europe, perhaps only second to the United Kingdom of Brexit in its hostility towards certain ideas, now finds himself able to lead an entirely different kind of government. Out go the sovereigns, in come the anti-sovereigns and it’s all change except for the leader who, chameleon-like, has managed to establish himself as the new guarantor of both the Constitution and of Rome’s membership in the European forum.

A lesson in politics, certainly, but above all else it is a lesson about relationships between Europe and its member countries; namely that the European Union knows how to flatter, press and push governments to avoid implementing policies that are contrary to being members of the great European “family”. There is no denying it: those who do what Europe is saying and those who show loyalty to the Franco-German axis are unlikely to make mistakes if they want to remain firmly at the helm of a country and be a friend of the establishment. A glaringly obvious system, which has manifested itself not only in Italy, but throughout Europe, and there are many examples of this.

Alexis Tsipras was the first to understand what it means to be faithful to Brussels. We all remember his attacks on Europe: the threat of leaving the euro and the referendum against the Troika. Then came a summons to Brussels and a dressing-down by Angela Merkel (who is de facto leader in Greece) to make him change his mind. Thus, after the public recantation on the exit of the euro and the inclusion of China in Athens, Tsipras began to be the symbol of a radical left that rediscovered itself as European, then replaced by Mitsotakis in the last election. There was, however, no revolution in Athens and Europe has ensured safe conduct. But Viktor Orban’s politics should not be underestimated either; it is true that he continues to be a thorn in the side of the European People’s Party and the EU, but in fact he never really distances himself from either, confirming instead that his strategic partnership with Germany is stronger than ever.

It is this very same safe conduct that has now been granted to Conte’s Italy. Europe’s leaders, magically, have all begun to acknowledge the (no longer) exiting Italian Premier. The Heads of State and government of the Old Continent have given ample credit to the chief executive of the former yellow-greens, now red-yellows. The spread has dropped significantly since it was announced that Conte 2.0’s Democratic Party has entered the rooms of power. The higher echelons of the European Union have blessed the new alliance as “almost Ursula”. Everyone is satisfied that Conte has transformed the Five Stars and that now the Democratic Party is able to reinforce Italian domestic policy guidelines, casting a light on Berlin, Brussels and Paris and, of course, simultaneously renouncing the sovereign nuances that had worried everyone.

The European endorsement towards Conte began some time ago. And all the symptoms of this change were there, with moral suasion emerging in the Belgium capital’s corridors and EU chancelleries. It was mainly the vote in favor of Ursula von der Leyen that lifted the veil, as the leader of the yellow-green government had already decided to change the executive branch’s colour. Everything changes but yellow and Conte is still there, which guarantees full continuity and links with Europe. Europe, in turn, has done everything to have both continuity and breakdown, by convincing Italy to choose another path. Some call it responsible, others call it cowardly but the one sure thing is that Italy has actually been taken over by two powers, reflecting badly on Matteo Salvini. Europe can manage the country better without, in a sense, coming under fire. While the United States is assured by Conte, who has established an excellent relationship with Trump, guarantees by the yellow-green government were clearly no longer enough.

L'articolo Pressure From Europe (And The World) Force New Government Changes proviene da InsideOver.