Greek, Roman, Christian, classical liberal and Atlanticist Europe

21/05/2014

Miquel Porta Perales is a writer

 

It is true that the elections for the European Parliament of next May 25^th are special. Because the juncture the European Union is going through is special and also the response to the crisis that marked the last five years is special. Do we have to maintain an exceptional policy –austerity and budgetary stability– that allowed the survival of the euro and the stabilization and consolidation of the European Union? Do we have to strength and legalize –we can say, return to normality– this exceptional policy? Furthermore, European elections are also special if we consider the competences assumed by the European Parliament which can elect the president of the European Commission. It is a fact that legitimates democratically the European Union itself. And the current European elections are also special because of the emergence of some populisms –nationalists or not– that question –or, they threaten– the ideological and moral foundations of the idea of Europe at the base of the European Union. They are populisms that –institutional disloyalty and dismissive attitude towards legality– want to undermine and pulverize the European Union for the greater good of their own interests. Antony Beevor pointed it out when he presented in Spain –September 2012– his book The Second World War: “nationalisms intensify again in the Old Continent… the old monster is wakening up”. We must add to the author’s nationalisms the extremism of both wings.

Given this threaten –we leave aside the economic crisis challenge–, how can we face the “old monster” that is out there? Firstly, we have to recognize the problem and reveal the ideology and the populist-nationalist-extremist program, as well as its consequences that today fly over the European Union.  Secondly –we are going to dwell on it in the following lines–, the European Union needs to strengthen the five pillars at the base of the idea of the Europe. Namely, a Greek, Roman, Christian, classical liberal and Atlanticist Europe.

A Greek Europe that continues cultivating ideas, reason over superstition, observation and experimentation, science and technique, democracy, citizenship, freedom, individuals and well understood tolerance.

A Roman Europe, in which the Rule of State prevails, that allows the developments of individuals’ personality, that seeks justice ideal, that defends the art of what is good, that claims the rectitude as a source of right, that proclaims a life’s philosophy based on living freely and honestly.

A Christian Europe that respects the others dignity, that does not distance itself from the others suffering, that puts into practice solidarity, that recognizes its own faults, that provides norms and values, that encourages prudence, justice, strength and harmony.

A classical liberal Europe that waves the flag of freedom, individuals, citizenship, formal democracy, Welfare State, equal opportunities, market economy, competitiveness, pragmatism, education, formation, innovation, investment, budgetary rigor, freedom of ownership, of commerce and of bequeath.

An Atlanticist Europe that strengths the transatlantic link controlled by the United States, a Europe that provides itself with an ideology, a strategy and a defense budget, that builds its own defense pillar coordinated together with the United States. And all this for tactical (for example the fight against international terrorism and defense), strategic (to speak for itself in the security order and global defense), and ideological and moral (the safeguard of the open society against its enemies) reasons.

Of course, the economic crisis. Of course, the political crisis. Of course, the Euroscepticism. But, we do not have to forget the sentence that the philosopher Edmund Husserl once said: “the greatest peril threatening Europe is tiredness”.[1]